


Darkness And Light

by Megalodont



Series: Darkness&Light Trilogy [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Triwizard Tournament, Why Did I Write This?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-25
Updated: 2016-12-25
Packaged: 2018-09-12 00:43:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 30,464
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9048508
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Megalodont/pseuds/Megalodont
Summary: A year before his downfall, Voldemort rewarded Bellatrix's devoted service by impregnating her. When he is defeated by Harry Potter, Bellatrix continues to fight vigilantly for her master. She will not cease, even she gets sent to Azkaban and her daughter is sent to live with her sister. Andromeda. Narcissa is furious. She fights the decision every chance she gets, but the Ministry refuses to reverse the decision.Fast forward 13 years.That little baby girl is 14 years old, a Gryffindor attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and a loyal friend of Harry Potter.Her name is Taunna Tonks.





	1. The Portkey

**Author's Note:**

> I know it's been done before. Just...Let me do this.

"Taunna!Up and at 'em!" Mrs Weasley called. Taunna rolled out of the bed and reached for her clothes. She changed quickly and headed downstairs for a quick breakfast. She waved at Harry briskly and ate her breakfast.  
"Where's Bill and Charlie and Per-Per-Percy?" said George, failing to stifle a huge yawn.  
"Well, they're Apparating, aren't they?" said Mrs Weasley, heaving the large pot over to the table and starting to ladle porridge into bowls. "So they can have a bit of a lie-in." Well, didn't Taunna wish she could apparate right about now?  
There were footsteps down the passageway and Hermione and Ginny came into the kitchen, both looking pale and drowsy.  
"Why do we have to be up so early?" Ginny said, rubbing her eyes and sitting down at the table.  
"We've got a bit of a walk," said Mr. Weasley.  
"Walk?" said Harry. "What, are we walking to the World Cup?"  
"No, no, that's miles away," said Mr Weasley, smiling. "We only need to walk a short way. It's just that it's very difficult for a large number of wizards to congregate without attracting Muggle attention. We have to be very careful about how we travel at the best of times, and on a huge occasion like the Quidditch World Cup..."  
Molly began screaming at Fred and George about their pockets, which were loaded with their toffees, which were supposed to have been destroyed.  
Taunna was biting her tongue so hard there was blood in her mouth because she was trying so hard not to laugh.  
Poor Molly had no idea.  
"We spent six months developing those!" Fred shouted at his mother as she threw the toffees away.  
"Oh a fine way to spend six months!" she shrieked. "No wonder you didn't get more O.W.L.s!"  
All in all, the atmosphere was not very friendly as they took their departure. Mrs.  
Weasley was still glowering as she kissed Mr Weasley on the cheek, though not nearly as much as the twins, who had each hoisted their rucksacks onto their backs and walked out without a word to her. Taunna shook her head.  She was walking very briskly, almost a jog.  
It was chilly and the moon was still out. Only a dull, greenish tinge along the horizon to their right showed that daybreak was drawing closer. Harry, having been thinking about thousands of wizards speeding toward the Quidditch World Cup, sped up to walk with Mr Weasley.  
"So how does everyone get there without all the Muggles noticing?" he asked.  
"It's been a massive organisational problem," sighed Mr Weasley. "The trouble is, about a hundred thousand wizards turn up at the World Cup, and of course, we just haven't got a magical site big enough to accommodate them all. There are places Muggles can't penetrate, but imagine trying to pack a hundred thousand wizards into Diagon Alley or platform nine and three-quarters. So we had to find a nice deserted moor and set up as many anti-Muggle precautions as possible. The whole Ministry's been working on it for months. First, of course, we have to stagger the arrivals. People with cheaper tickets have to arrive two weeks beforehand. A limited number use Muggle transport, but we can't have too many clogging up their buses and trains - remember, wizards are coming from all over the world. Some Apparate, of course, but we have to set up safe points for them to appear, well away from Muggles. I believe there's a handy wood they're using as the Apparition point. For those who don't want to Apparate, or can't, we use Portkeys.  
They're objects that are used to transport wizards from one spot to another at a prearranged time. You can do large groups at a time if you need to. There have been two hundred Portkeys placed at strategic points around Britain, and the nearest one to us is up at the top of Stoatshead Hill, so that's where we're headed."  
Mr Weasley pointed ahead of them, where a large black mass rose beyond the village of Ottery St. Catchpole. Taunna stared at the object on the ground.

Two tall figures were silhouetted against the starry sky on the other side of the hilltop.

"Amos!" said Mr. Weasley, smiling as he strode over to the man who had shouted. The rest of them followed.

Mr Weasley was shaking hands with a ruddy-faced wizard with a scrubby brown beard, who was holding a moldy-looking old boot in his other hand.

"This is Amos Diggory, everyone," said Mr Weasley. "He works for the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. And I think you know his son, Cedric?"

Cedric Diggory was an extremely handsome boy of around seventeen. He was Captain and Seeker of the Hufflepuff House Quidditch team at Hogwarts.

"Hi," said Cedric, looking around at them all.

Everybody said hi back except Fred and George, who merely nodded. They had never quite forgiven Cedric for beating their team, Gryffindor, in the first Quidditch match of the previous year.

"Long walk, Arthur?" Cedric's father asked. "Not too bad," said Mr Weasley. "We live

just on the other side of the village there. You?"

"Had to get up at two, didn't we, Ced? I tell you, I'll be glad when he's got his Apparition test. Still ... not complaining ... Quidditch World Cup, wouldn't miss it for a sackful of Galleons - and the tickets cost about that. Mind you, looks like I got off easy. . . ." Amos Diggory peered good-naturedly around at the three Weasley boys, Harry, Hermione, and Ginny. "All these yours, Arthur?"

"Oh no, only the redheads," said Mr. Weasley, pointing out his children. "This is Hermione, friend of Ron's, Taunna Tonks and that's Harry another friend."

"Merlin's beard," said Amos Diggory, his eyes widening. "Harry? Harry Potter?"

"Er - yeah," said Harry.

Taunna felt the tension.

"Ced's talked about you, of course," said Amos Diggory. "Told us all about playing against you last year... I said to him, I said - Ced, that'll be something to tell your grandchildren, that will.... You beat Harry Potter!"

Taunna grit her teeth.

"Harry fell off his broom, Dad," he muttered. I told you ... it was an accident...."

"Yes, but you didn't fall off, did you?" roared Amos genially, slapping his son on his back. "Always modest, our Ced, always the gentleman ... but the best man won, I'm sure Harry'd say the same, wouldn't you, eh? One falls off his broom, one stays on, you don't need to be a genius to tell which one's the better flier!"

Taunna hadn't know Amos Diggory long, but she did know one thing.

She wanted to punch him in the face.


	2. The World Cup

As they hit the ground, Taunna felt an elbow go into her ribs.  
"Ow!" She yelled."Whoever's got their elbow in my ribcage get it out!"  
"Sorry." Cedric helped her up.  
"Uh, thanks." She said.

"Morning, Basil," said Mr Weasley, picking up the boot and handing it to the kilted wizard, who threw it into a large box of used Portkeys beside him; Harry could see an old newspaper, an empty drinks can, and a punctured football.

 

"Hello there, Arthur," said Basil wearily. "Not on duty, eh? It's all right for

 

some.... We've been here all night.... You'd better get out of the way, we've got a big party coming in from the Black Forest at five fifteen. Hang on, I'll find your campsite.... Weasley ... Weasley...." He consulted his parchment list. "About a quarter of a mile's walk over there, the first field you come to. Site manager's called Mr Roberts."

"Thanks, Basil," said Mr Weasley, and he beckoned everyone to follow him.

 

They set off across the deserted moor, unable to make out much through the mist. After about twenty minutes, a small stone cottage next to a gate swam into view. Beyond it, Harry could just make out the ghostly shapes of hundreds and hundreds of tents, rising up the gentle slope of a large field toward a dark wood on the horizon. They said good-bye to the Diggorys and approached the cottage door.

 

A man was standing in the doorway, looking out at the tents. Taunna knew at a glance that this was the only real Muggle for several acres. When she heard their footsteps, she turned her head to look at them.

 

"Morning!" said Mr Weasley brightly.

 

"Morning," said the Muggle.

 

"Would you be Mr Roberts?"

 

"Aye, I would," said Mr Roberts. "And who're you?"

 

"Weasley - two tents, booked a couple of days ago?"

 

"Aye," said Mr Roberts, consulting a list tacked to the door. "You've got a space up by the wood there. Just the one night?"

 

"That's it," said Mr Weasley.

 

"You'll be paying now, then?" said Mr Roberts.

 

"Ah - right - certainly -" said Mr Weasley. He retreated a short distance from the cottage and beckoned Harry toward him. "Help me, Harry," he muttered, pulling a roll of Muggle money from his pocket and starting to peel the notes apart. "This one's a - a - a ten? Ah yes, I see the little number on it now... So this is a five?"

 

"A twenty," Harry corrected him in an undertone.

 

"Ah yes, so it is.... I don't know, these little bits of paper..."

 

"You foreign?" said Mr. Roberts as Mr Weasley returned with the correct notes.

 

"Foreign?" repeated Mr Weasley, puzzled.

 

"You're not the first one who's had trouble with money," said Mr Roberts, scrutinising Mr Weasley closely. "I had two try and pay me with great gold coins the size of hubcaps ten minutes ago."

 

"Did you really?" said Mr Weasley nervously. Taunna swallowed.

 

Mr Roberts rummaged around in a tin for some change.

 

"Never been this crowded," he said suddenly, looking out over the misty field again.

 

"Hundreds of pre-bookings. People usually just turn up...."

 

"Is that right?" said Mr Weasley, his hand held out for his change, but Mr. Roberts didn't give it to him.

 

"Aye," he said thoughtfully. "People from all over. Loads of foreigners. And not just foreigners. Weirdos, you know? There's a bloke walking 'round in a kilt and a poncho."

 

"Shouldn't he?" said Mr Weasley anxiously.

"It's like some sort of... I dunno ... like some sort of rally," said Mr Roberts. "They all seem to know each other. Like a big party."

 

At that moment, a wizard in plus-fours appeared out of thin air next to Mr Roberts's front door.

 

"Obliviate!" he said sharply, pointing his wand at Mr Roberts. Taunna was surprised. Did these wizards really have no sense of precaution?

 

Instantly, Mr Roberts's eyes slid out of focus, his brows unknitted, and a took of dreamy unconcern fell over his face. Taunna recognised the symptoms of one who had just had his memory modified.

 

"A map of the campsite for you," Mr Roberts said placidly to Mr Weasley. "And your change."

 

"Thanks very much," said Mr Weasley. Taunna held her tongue.

 

Once out of earshot of Mr Roberts, he muttered to Mr Weasley, "Been having a lot of trouble with him. Needs a Memory Charm ten times a day to keep him happy. And Ludo Bagman's not helping. Trotting around talking about Bludgers and Quaffles at the top of his voice, not a worry about anti-Muggle security Blimey, I'll be glad when this is over. See you later, Arthur."

 

"I thought Mr Bagman was Head of Magical Games and Sports," Taunna said, puzzled."He should know better than to talk about Bludgers near Muggles, shouldn't he?"

 

"He should," said Mr Weasley, smiling, and leading them through the gates into the campsite, "but Ludo's always been a bit ... well . . . lax about security. You couldn't wish for a more enthusiastic head of the sports department, though. He played Quidditch for England himself, you know. And he was the best Beater the Wimbourne Wasps ever had."

 

They trudged up the misty field between long rows of tents. Most looked almost ordinary; their owners had clearly tried to make them as Muggle-like as possible but had slipped up by adding chimneys, or bellpulls, or weather vanes. However, here and there was a tent so obviously magical that Harry could hardly be surprised that Mr Roberts was getting suspicious. Halfway up the field stood an extravagant confection of striped silk like a miniature palace, with several live peacocks tethered at the entrance. A little farther on they passed a tent that had three floors and several turrets; and a short way beyond that was a tent that had a front garden attached, complete with a birdbath, sundial, and fountain.

 

"Always the same," said Mr Weasley, smiling. "We can't resist showing off when we get together. Ah, here we are, look, this is us."


	3. The Match

Ron pulled out his Omnioculars and started testing them, staring down into the crowd on the other side of the stadium.

"Wild!" he said, twiddling the replay knob on the side. I can make that old bloke down there pick his nose again ... and again ... and again. . ."

Hermione, meanwhile, was skimming eagerly through her velvet covered, tasselled program.

"'A display from the team mascots will precede the match,"' she read aloud.

"Oh that's always worth watching," said Mr Weasley. "National teams bring creatures from their native land, you know, to put on a bit of a show."

"Should be brilliant." Taunna murmured. 

Harry, Ron, and Hermione turned quickly. Edging along the second row to three still-empty seats right behind Mr Weasley were Taunna's own flesh and blood. Lucius Malfoy; his son, Draco; and her aunt Narcissa. Taunna made slight eye contact with her estranged aunt before whipping her face back to the match.

"Ah, Fudge," said Mr Malfoy, holding out his hand as he reached the Minister of Magic.

 

"How are you? I don't think you've met my wife, Narcissa? Or our son, Draco?"

 

"How do you do, how do you do?" said Fudge, smiling and bowing to Mrs Malfoy. "And allow me to introduce you to Mr Oblansk - Obalonsk - Mr. - well, he's the Bulgarian Minister of Magic, and he can't understand a word I'm saying anyway, so never mind. And

 

let's see who else - you know Arthur Weasley, I daresay?"

 

 

It was a tense moment. Mr Weasley and Mr Malfoy looked at each other and Narcissa kept her eyes on her niece.

Taunna recalled an angry letter from her aunt she found in Andromeda's drawer, Mr.referring to Taunna's living situation.

  
 _What right do you have to her? You and Bella haven't spoken since your seventh year! Bella specifically said if anything happened to her that I was to take her! Not you and that filthy mudblood! Bella will be furious when she finds out what you've done! She'll kill you for this, Andromeda!_  
  
Taunna Had always known Andromeda wasn't her mother, her aunt had told her that since she was a small chilMr

Mr.Malfoy's cold gray eyes swept ovMrWeasley, and then up and down the row.

 

"Good lord, Arthur," he said softly. "What did you have to sell to get seats in the Top Box? Surely your house wouldn't have fetched this much?"

 

Fudge, who wasn't listening, said, "Lucius has just given a very generous contribution to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, Arthur. He's here as my guest."

 

"How - how nice," said Mr. Weasley, with a very strained smile.

 

Mr. Malfoy's eyes had returned to Hermione, who went slightly pink, but stared determinedly back at him.

Taunna bit her tongue. There was so much she couldn't say.

 As they left, Taunna exhaled.

"Slimy gits," Ron muttered.

Next moment, Ludo Bagman charged into the box.

 

"Everyone ready?" he said, his round face gleaming like a great, excited Edam. "Minister - ready to go?"

 

"Ready when you are, Ludo," said Fudge comfortably.

 

Ludo whipped out his wand, directed it at his own throat, and said "Sonorus!" and then spoke over the roar of sound that was now filling the packed stadium; his voice echoed over them, booming into every corner of the stands.

 

"Ladies and gentlemen. . . welcome! Welcome to the final of the four hundred and twenty-second Quidditch World Cup!"

 

The spectators screamed and clapped. Thousands of flags waved, adding their discordant national anthems to the racket. The huge blackboard opposite them was wiped clear of its last message (Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans - A Risk With Every Mouthful!) and now showed BULGARIA: 0, IRELAND: 0.

 

"And now, without further ado, allow me to introduce. . . the Bulgarian National Team Mascots!"

 

The right-hand side of the stands, which was a solid block of scarlet, roared its approval.

 

"I wonder what they've brought," said Mr. Weasley, leaning forward in his seat. "Aaah!"

 

He suddenly whipped off his glasses and polished them hurriedly on his robes. "Veela!"

Taunna shook her head. 

 

"And now," roared Ludo Bagman's voice, "kindly put your wands in the air. . . for the Irish National Team Mascots!"

 

Next moment, what seemed to be a great green-and-gold comet came zooming into the stadium. It did one circuit of the stadium, then split into two smaller comets, each hurtling toward the goal posts. A rainbow arced suddenly across the field, connecting the two balls of light. The crowd oooohed and aaaaahed, as though at a fireworks display. Now the rainbow faded and the balls of light reunited and merged; they had formed a great shimmering shamrock, which rose up into the sky and began to soar over the stands. Something like golden rain seemed to be falling from it - "Excellent!" yelled Ron as the shamrock soared over them, and heavy gold coins rained from it, bouncing off their heads and seats. 

"Leprechauns!" said Mr. Weasley over the tumultuous applause of the crowd, many of whom were still fighting and rummaging around under their chairs to retrieve the gold.

"And now, ladies and gentlemen, kindly welcome - the Bulgarian National Quidditch Team!

 

I give you - Dimitrov!"

 

A scarlet-clad figure on a broomstick, moving so fast it was blurred, shot out onto the field from an entrance far below, to wild applause from the Bulgarian supporters.

 

"Ivanova!"

 

A second scarlet-robed player zoomed out.

 

"Zograf! Levski! Vulchanov! Volkov! Aaaaaaand - Krum!"

 

"That's him, that's him!" yelled Ron, following Krum with his Omnioculars. 

Taunna couldn't honestly see what all the fuss was about;

Then again, she'd never really been a Bulgaria fan.

"And now, please greet - the Irish National Quidditch Team!" yelled Bagman. "Presenting - Connolly! Ryan! Troy! Mullet! Moran! Quigley! Aaaaaand - Lynch!"

Now, Lynch was a seeker Taunna could appreciate.

"Theeeeeeeey're OFF!" screamed Bagman. "And it's Mullet! Troy! Moran! Dimitrov! Back to Mullet! Troy! Levski! Moran!"

Taunna could hardly follow the game. Before she knew anything had happened, people were scoring.

"Dimitrov! Levski! Dimitrov! Ivanova - oh I say!" roared Bagman.

 

One hundred thousand wizards gasped as the two Seekers, Krum and Lynch, plummeted through the centre of the Chasers, so fast that it looked as though they had just jumped from aeroplanes without parachutes.

"They're going to crash!" screamed Hermione.

She was half right - at the very last second, Viktor Krum pulled out of the dive and spiralled off. Lynch, however, hit the ground with a dull thud that could be heard throughout the stadium. A huge groan rose from the Irish seats.

 

"Fool!" moaned Mr Weasley. "Krum was feinting!"

 

"It's time-out!" yelled Bagman's voice, "as trained mediwizards hurry onto the field to examine Aidan Lynch!"

 

"He'll be okay, he only got ploughed!" Charlie said reassuringly to Ginny, who was hanging over the side of the box, looking horror-struck. "Which is what Krum was after, of course... ."

Taunna couldn't look.

"You fool." She muttered. 

Lynch got to his feet at last, to loud cheers from the green-clad supporters, mounted his

 

Firebolt, and kicked back off into the air. His revival seemed to give Ireland new heart. When Mostafa blew his whistle again, the Chasers moved into action with a skill unrivalled by anything Taunna had seen so far.

 

After fifteen more fast and furious minutes, Ireland had pulled ahead by ten more goals.

 

They were now leading by one hundred and thirty points to ten, and the game was starting to get dirtier.

 

As Mullet shot toward the goal posts yet again, clutching the Quaffle tightly under her arm, the Bulgarian Keeper, Zograf, flew out to meet her.

"And Mostafa takes the Bulgarian Keeper to task for cobbing -- excessive use of elbows!"

 

Bagman informed the roaring spectators. "And - yes, it's a penalty to Ireland!"

 

The leprechauns, who had risen angrily into the air like a swarm of glittering hornets when Mullet had been fouled, now darted together to form the words "HA, HA, HA!" The veela on the other side of the field leapt to their feet, tossed their hair angrily, and started to dance again.

Taunna was missing so much she was almost looking for a rewind button.

Play now reached a level of ferocity beyond anything they had yet seen. The Beaters on both sides were acting without mercy: Volkov and Vulchanov, in particular, seemed not to care whether their clubs made contact with Bludger or human as they swung them violently through the air. Dimitrov shot straight at Moran, who had the Quaffle, nearly knocking her off her broom.

 

"Foul!" roared the Irish supporters as one, all standing up in a great wave of green.

 

"Foul!" echoed Ludo Bagman's magically magnified voice. "Dimitrov skins Moran -deliberately flying to collide there - and it's got to be another penalty - yes, there's the whistle!"

 

The leprechauns had risen into the air again, and this time, they formed a giant hand, which was making a very rude sign indeed at the veela across the field. At this, the veela lost control. Instead of dancing, they launched themselves across the field and began throwing what seemed to be handfuls of fire at the leprechauns. They didn't look remotely beautiful now. On the contrary, their faces were elongating into sharp, cruel-beaked bird heads, and long, scaly wings were bursting from their shoulders -"

 

And that, boys," yelled Mr Weasley over the tumult of the crowd below, "is why you should never go for looks alone!"

 

Ministry wizards were flooding onto the field to separate the veela and the leprechauns, but with little success; meanwhile, the pitched battle below was nothing to the one taking place above.

 

"Levski - Dimitrov - Moran - Troy - Mullet - Ivanova - Moran again - Moran - MORAN SCORES!"

 

But the cheers of the Irish supporters were barely heard over the shrieks of the veela, the blasts now issuing from the Ministry members' wands, and the furious roars of the Bulgarians. The game recommenced immediately; now Levski had the Quaffle, now Dimitrov -The Irish Beater Quigley swung heavily at a passing Bludger and hit it as hard as possible toward Krum, who did not duck quickly enough. It hit him full in the face.

 

There was a deafening groan from the crowd; Krum's nose looked broken, there was blood everywhere, but Hassan Mostafa didn't blow his whistle. He had become distracted, and Harry couldn't blame him; one of the veela had thrown a handful of fire and set his broom tail alight.

 

Taunna wanted everything to slow down at this point. She was getting a headache.

The screeching veela were piercing here eardrums and it wasn't nice.

 

"Look at Lynch!" Harry yelled.

 

For the Irish Seeker had suddenly gone into a dive, and Harry was quite sure that this was no Wronski Feint; this was the real thing...

 

"He's seen the Snitch!" Harry shouted. "He's seen it! Look at him go!"

 

Half the crowd seemed to have realised what was happening; the Irish supporters rose in another great wave of green, screaming their Seeker on. . . but Krum was on his tail.

 

How he could see where he was going, Harry had no idea; there were flecks of blood flying through the air behind him, but he was drawing level with Lynch now as the pair of them hurtled toward the ground again -"

 

"They're going to crash!" shrieked Hermione.

 

"They're not!" roared Ron.

 

"Lynch is!" yelled Harry.

 

And he was right - for the second time, Lynch hit the ground with tremendous force and was immediately stampeded by a horde of angry veela.

 

"The Snitch, where's the Snitch?" bellowed Charlie, along the row.

 

"He's got it - Krum's got it - it's all over!" shouted Harry.

"Thank god." Taunna said, rubbing her temples.

Krum, his red robes shining with blood from his nose, was rising gently into the air, his fist held high, a glint of gold in his hand.

 

The scoreboard was flashing BULGARIA: 160, IRELAND: 170 across the crowd, who didn't seem to have realised what had happened. Then, slowly, as though a great jumbo jet were revving up, the rumbling from the Ireland supporters grew louder and louder and erupted into screams of delight.

 

"IRELAND WINS!" Bagman shouted, who like the Irish, seemed to be taken aback by the sudden end of the match.

 

"KRUM GETS THE SNITCH - BUT IRELAND WINS -- good lord, I don't think any of us were expecting that!"

 

"What did he catch the Snitch for?" Ron bellowed, even as he jumped up and down, applauding with his hands over his head. "He ended it when Ireland were a hundred and sixty points ahead, the idiot!"

 

"He knew they were never going to catch up!" Harry shouted. 

"Can we go now?" Taunna's plea was lost in the shouting.

"The Irish Chasers were too good. . . . He wanted to end it on his terms, that's all. . .

 

"He was very brave, wasn't he?" Hermione said, leaning forward to watch Krum land as a swarm of mediwizards blasted a path through the battling leprechauns and veela to get to him. "He looks a terrible mess. . ."

 

"CAN WE GO NOW?" Taunna shouted, her head practically vibrating.

Mr Weasley nodded.


	4. The Dark Mark

Taunna never really got to sleep off her headache.  
suddenly, Hermione was shaking her.  
"Taunna, wake up! Now, we have to go!" Hermione shouted.  
"What?" Taunna mumbled.  
"Taunna, hurry," Hermione said.  The noises in the campsite had changed.  
The singing had stopped.  Taunna knew something was wrong.  She dressed quickly and ran outside.A crowd of wizards, tightly packed and moving together with wands pointing straight upward, was marching slowly across the field. 

Taunna's breath caught in her throat.  
 _Run_.  
Her mind screamed.  
"We're going to help the Ministry!" Mr Weasley shouted over all the noise, rolling up his own sleeves. "You lot - get into the woods, and stick together. I'll come and fetch you when we've sorted this out!"

Bill, Charlie, and Percy were already sprinting away toward the oncoming marchers; Mr.

Weasley tore after them. Ministry wizards were dashing from every direction toward the source of the trouble. The crowd beneath the Roberts family was coming ever closer.

"C'mon," said Fred, grabbing Ginny's hand and starting to pull her toward the wood.  Taunna moved to follow them.

  
She broke into a run as fear crept up inside of her.  
They were Death Eaters.   
They worked for Voldemort.  
Was it possible they recognised her?  
The crowd beneath the Roberts family was larger than ever; they could see the Ministry wizards trying to get through it to the hooded wizards in the centre, but they were having great difficulty. It looked as though they were scared to perform any spell that might make the Roberts family fall.  
  
The colored lanterns that had lit the path to the stadium had been extinguished. Dark figures were blundering through the trees; children were crying; anxious shouts and panicked voices were reverberating around them in the cold night air. Harry felt himself being pushed hither and thither by people whose faces he could not see. Then he heard Ron yell with pain.  
  
"What happened?" said Hermione anxiously, stopping so abruptly that Harry walked into her. "Ron, where are you? Oh, this is stupid - Lumos!"  
  
She illuminated her wand and directed its narrow beam across the path. Ron was lying sprawled on the ground.  
  
"Tripped over a tree root," he said angrily, getting to his feet again. Taunna ran to see if everyone was alright.  
"Well, with feet that size, hard not to," said a drawling voice from behind them.

Draco Malfoy was standing alone nearby, leaning against a tree, looking utterly relaxed.

"Oh my god." Taunna groaned.

 His arms folded, he seemed to have been watching the scene at the campsite through a gap in the trees.

 

Ron told Malfoy to do something which made Taunna say "Ronald Weasley!'

"Language, Weasley," said Malfoy, his pale eyes glittering. "Hadn't you better be hurrying along, now? You wouldn't like her spotted, would you?"

 

He nodded at Hermione, and at the same moment, a blast like a bomb sounded from the campsite, and a flash of green light momentarily lit the trees around them.

 

"What's that supposed to mean?" said Hermione defiantly. "Granger, they're after Muggles, "said Malfoy. "D'you want to be showing off your knickers in midair? Because if you do, hang around. . . they're moving this way, and it would give us all a laugh."

 

"Hermione's a witch," Harry snarled.

 

"Have it your own way, Potter," said Malfoy, grinning maliciously. "If you think they can't spot a Mudblood, stay where you are."

 

"You watch your mouth!" shouted Ron. Everybody present knew that "Mudblood" was a very offensive term for a witch or wizard of Muggle parentage.

 

"Never mind, Ron," said Hermione quickly, seizing Ron's arm to restrain him as he took a step toward Malfoy.

 

There came a bang from the other side of the trees that was louder than anything they had heard. Several people nearby screamed. Malfoy chuckled softly.

 

"Scare easily, don't they?" he said lazily. "I suppose your daddy told you all to hide?

 

What's he up to - trying to rescue the Muggles?"

 

"Where're your parents?" said Harry."Out there wearing masks, are they?"

 

Malfoy turned his face to Harry, still smiling.

 

"Well. . . if they were, I wouldn't be likely to tell you, would I, Potter?"

 

"Oh come on," said Hermione, with a disgusted look at Malfoy, "let's go and find the others."

 

"Keep that big bushy head down, Granger," sneered Malfoy.

"Shut up." Taunna snarled.

  
"Those poor Muggles, though," said Hermione nervously. "What if they can't get them down?"  
  
"They will," said Ron reassuringly. "They'll find a way."  
  
"Mad, though, to do something like that when the whole Ministry of Magic's out here tonight!" said Hermione. "I mean, how do they expect to get away with it? Do you think they've been drinking, or are they just -"  
  
But she broke off abruptly and looked over her shoulder. Harry and Ron looked quickly around too. It sounded as though someone was staggering toward their clearing. They waited, listening to the sounds of the uneven steps behind the dark trees. But the footsteps came to a sudden halt.  
  
"Hello?" called Harry.  
  
There was silence. Harry got to his feet and peered around the tree. It was too dark to see very far, but he could sense somebody standing just beyond the range of his vision.  
  
"Who's there?" he said.  
  
And then, without warning, the silence was rent by a voice unlike any they had heard in the wood; and it uttered, not a panicked shout, but what sounded like a spell.  
  
"MORSMORDRE!"  
  
And something vast, green, and glittering erupted from the patch of darkness Harry's eyes had been struggling to penetrate; it flew up over the treetops and into the sky.  
  
"What the - ?" gasped Ron as he sprang to his feet again, staring up at the thing that had appeared.  
"No.It can't be." Taunna was actually terrified now.  
It was the Dark Mark.  
"Who's there?" Harry called again.  
  
"Harry, come on, move!" Hermione had seized the collar of his jacket and was tugging him backwards.  
  
"What's the matter?" Harry said, startled to see her face so white and terrified.  
  
"It's the Dark Mark, Harry!" Hermione moaned, pulling him as hard as she could.  
  
"You-Know-Who's sign!"  
  
"Voldemort's - "Harry, come on!"  
Taunna ran in the opposite direction-as far away from the mark as possible.  
Because of who she was, she couldn't be caught hanging around when the Dark Mark appeared.  
She ran as fast as she could, only to be caught in a set of arms.  
  
Suddenly, she was no longer at the campsite.  
She was at The Malfoy manor.


	5. The Truth

 Taunna stared at her aunt Narcissa for a moment.  
"What the-"  
"Hush,  child. I've been waiting 13 years for this." Suddenly, Her aunt threw her arms around her and hugged her."It was supposed to be this way. Your mother wanted it this way. But Andromeda and that filthy mudblood... Well, I have a lot to explain to you. And you have something to explain to me as well." Narcissa smiled even bigger.  
"What's that?" Taunna asked weakly.  
"Where did you learn to conjure the Dark Mark?"  
"I didn't"  
"Oh, you don't have to play innocent here.  After all, we both have the Mark." Narcissa rolled up her own sleeve to reveal her dark mark. She took Taunna's  wrist and pulled her sleeve. "Bellatrix insisted you have yours done at birth. To show the Dark Lord you'd be faithful your entire life." Narcissa smiled. Suddenly, Lucius and Draco appeared in the room.  
Taunna realized that this entire family must've apparated in the house, even though her and Draco were underage. Taunna figured the Ministry would let it go, considering the panic and Lucius' position in the Ministry.  
"Do you know if she did it?" Lucius asked.  
"Well, Taunna. Did you?" Taunna knew she hadn't cast the curse, but she didn't want to see her position if not.  
"I did. But I don't know how. It was a reflex. I was scared. I thought if I cast a mark or something that no one would hurt me." Taunna lied. Her aunt hugged her again.  
"No one is ever going to hurt you. Now that you've shown your true colours, no one is ever going to hurt you again. Oh, Your mother would be so proud of you." Narcissa gushed.  
"How the bloody hell are you in Gryffindor?" Draco butt in.   
"I was blind." Taunna wasn't a big liar, but she figured in order to survive her aunt's house, she'd have to lie through her teeth.  
-The Next Morning-  
Taunna guessed lying was a trait that ran in the family, because she heard Narcissa lying her face off to The _Minister of Magic_.  
"When the Dark Mark was cast, I was scared, I worried for her safety. I may not be her guardian, but as you yourself know we fought for years to bring her to this house. She was alone and scared herself. She came to me, sobbing and she said she couldn't find her friends and she wanted to leave right then. I couldn't help it. As a mother and her aunt, I had to protect her." Narcissa said.  
"But you didn't attempt to return her to her friends or Arthur Weasley? Fudge pressed.  
"She was in a complete panic. She was hyperventilating before I got her here." She replied.  
"But you never attempted to contact Andromeda or Arthur?" Fudge sounded frustrated.  
"I regret that I do not have a decent relationship with my sister and I thought Lucius would tell him at work today." Narcissa was cold.  
"The Ministry sent her to Andromeda and Ted Tonks for a reason. "  
"My sister insisted she come here." Narcissa sounded on edge.  
"At the time of Taunna's placement, both you and your husband were suspected of being Death Eaters. It wouldn't have made sense for the Ministry to place You-Know-Who's daughter in the Hands of people suspected to have followed him!" Fudge was agitated.  
"Our names were cleared." Narcissa argued.  
"But you seem to be muddying them again with this... _Kidnapping_." Taunna was sure Fudge just struck a nerve.  
"Kidnapping? You accuse me of kidnapping my own Niece? No harm would ever come to her in this house!" Narcissa cried.  
"Narcissa," Lucius urged." I apologize, Cornelius.My wife is still very shaken from last nights fiasco." Lucius explained.  
"No, that's quite alright Lucius. However, I am slightly disappointed that you at least didn't contact me to tell me that she was here."  
"My apologies. We felt that Taunna would feel safer if she stayed here for the night. We had forgotten to contact anyone, we were still very shocked." Lucius spoke softly.  
"Taunna has to leave today, Lucius." Fudge said. That was her cue.  
 She threw the door open and yelled  
"What?" The adults looked up. "No, I don't want to leave. I-I'm happy here. Don't make me leave!" She plead.  
"Taunna, it's for your own good." Fudge replies.  
"I don't want to leave!Please, Aunt Narcissa, don't let them take me back!" She had to admit, she was a good actress. Narcissa looked at Fudge.  
"She doesn't want to leave! I told you!" She snapped. Fudge sighed.  
"She can stay. Until school starts. When this year is over, she goes back to the Tonks'." Fudge said, defeated.  
Narcissa smiled.  
"You won't regret this, mr. Fudge." Taunna said.  
"I hope not." He replied.


	6. Go Ferr-et!

As Taunna boarded the train,  she found that she had a follower.  
Her cousin.  
"Where are you sitting?" He asked coolly.  
"I don't know y-"  
"You're sitting with me then."  
"Ok."  
  
"We saw him right up close, as well," said Ron. "We were in the Top Box -"  
  
"For the first and last time in your life, Weasley."  
  
Malfoy stood in the doorway. Behind him stood Crabbe and Goyle, his enormous, thuggish cronies, both of whom appeared to have grown at least a foot during the summer. Harry stared at behind Malfoy and saw Taunna...looking rather uncomfortably bored.  
  
"Don't remember asking you to join us, Malfoy," said Harry coolly.  
  
"Weasley. . . what is that?" said Malfoy, pointing at Pigwidgeon's cage. A sleeve of Ron's dress robes was dangling from it, swaying with the motion of the train, the mouldy lace cuff very obvious.  
  
Ron made to stuff the robes out of sight, but Malfoy was too quick for him; he seized the sleeve and pulled.  
  
"Look at this!" said Malfoy in ecstasy, holding up Ron's robes and showing Crabbe and Goyle, "Weasley, you weren't thinking of wearing these, were you? I mean - they were very fashionable in about eighteen ninety. . ." Taunna laughed. That was actually funny, She'd have to put a mark on the wall.  
  
"Eat dung, Malfoy!" said Ron, the same colour as the dress robes as he snatched them back out of Malfoy's grip. Malfoy howled with derisive laughter; Crabbe and Goyle guffawed stupidly.  
If anyone was surprised to see Taunna with her cousin, no one showed it.  
She silently wondered if they had actually been her friends at all.  
  
"So. . . going to enter, Weasley? Going to try and bring a bit of glory to the family name? There's money involved as well, you know. . . you'd be able to afford some decent robes if you won. . . ."  
  
"What are you talking about?" snapped Ron.  
  
'Are you going to enter?' Malfoy repeated. "I suppose you will, Potter? You never miss a chance to show off, do you?"  
  
"Either explain what you're on about or go away, Malfoy," said Hermione testily, over the top of The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 4.  
  
A gleeful smile spread across Malfoy's pale face "Don't tell me you don't know?" he said delightedly. "You've got a father and brother at the Ministry and you don't even know? My God, my father told me about it ages ago. . .  
  
heard it from Cornelius Fudge. But then, Father's always associated with the top people at the Ministry. . . . Maybe your father's too junior to know about it, Weasley. . . yes.  
  
. . they probably don't talk about important stuff in front of him. . . ."  
  
Laughing once more, Malfoy beckoned to Crabbe and Goyle, and the four of them disappeared.  
   
  
Taunna followed silently, almost saddened. Maybe Aunt Narcissa was right; The only people could rely on were family. She sat down in the compartment.  
  
-The Next Day-

"Your dad's in the paper, Weasley!" said Malfoy, brandishing a copy of the Daily Prophet and speaking very loudly, so that everyone in the packed entrance hall could hear. Taunna turned to look at her cousin.

 

"Listen to this!

 

FURTHER MISTAKES AT THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC

 

It seems as though the Ministry of Magic's troubles are not yet at an end, writes Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent. Recently under fire for its poor crowd control at the Quidditch World Cup, and still unable to account for the disappearance of one of its witches, the Ministry was plunged into fresh embarrassment yesterday by the antics of Arnold Weasley, of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office."

 

Malfoy looked up.

 

"Imagine them not even getting his name right, Weasley. It's almost as though he's a complete nonentity, isn't it?" he crowed.

 

Everyone in the entrance hall was listening now. Taunna swallowed.Malfoy straightened the paper with a flourish and read on:

 

Arnold Weasley, who was charged with possession of a flying car two years ago, was yesterday involved in a tussle with several Muggle law-keepers ("policemen") over a number of highly aggressive dustbins. Mr Weasley appears to have rushed to the aid of "Mad-Eye" Moody, the aged ex-Auror who retired from the Ministry when no longer able to tell the difference between a handshake and attempted murder. Unsurprisingly, Mr. Weasley found, upon arrival at Mr Moody's heavily guarded house, that Mr. Moody had once again raised a false alarm. Mr. Weasley was forced to modify several memories before he could escape from the policemen but refused to answer Daily Prophet questions about why he had involved the Ministry in such an undignified and potentially embarrassing scene.

 

"And there's a picture, Weasley!" said Malfoy, flipping the paper over and holding it up. "A picture of your parents outside their house - if you can call it a house! Your mother could do with losing a bit of weight, couldn't she?"

 

Ron was shaking with fury. Everyone was staring at him. Taunna started to walk over, this was all she could take. 

 

"Get stuffed, Malfoy," said Harry. "C'mon, Ron. . ."

 

"Oh yeah, you were staying with them this summer, weren't you, Potter?" sneered Malfoy.

 

"So tell me, is his mother really that porky, or is it just the picture?"

 

"You know your mother, Malfoy?" said Harry - both he and Hermione had grabbed the back of Ron's robes to stop him from launching himself at Malfoy - "that expression she's got like she's got dung under her nose? Has she always looked like that, or was it just because you were with her?"

 

Malfoy's pale face went slightly pink.

 

"Don't you dare insult my mother, Potter."

 

"Keep your fat mouth shut, then," said Harry, turning away.

 

BANG!

 

Several people screamed - Harry felt something white-hot graze the side of his face - he plunged his hand into his robes for his wand, but before he'd even touched it, he heard a second loud BANG and a roar that echoed through the entrance hall.

 

"OH NO YOU DON'T, LADDIE!"

 

Harry spun around. Professor Moody was limping down the marble staircase. His wand was out and it was pointing right at a pure white ferret, which was shivering on the stone-flagged floor, exactly where Malfoy had been standing. Taunna burst into laughter.

 

There was a terrified silence in the entrance hall. Nobody but Moody was moving a muscle. Moody turned to look at Harry -- at least, his normal eye was looking at Harry; the other one was pointing into the back of his head.

 

"Did he get you?" Moody growled. His voice was low and gravelly.

 

"No," said Harry, "missed."

 

"LEAVE IT!" Moody shouted.

 

"Leave - what?" Harry said, bewildered.

 

"Not you - him!" Moody growled, jerking his thumb over his shoulder at Crabbe, who had just frozen, about to pick up the white ferret. It seemed that Moody's rolling eye was magical and could see out of the back of his head.

 

Moody started to limp toward Crabbe, Goyle, and the ferret, which gave a terrified squeak and took off, streaking toward the dungeons.

 

"I don't think so!" roared Moody, pointing his wand at the ferret again - it flew ten feet into the air, fell with a smack to the floor, and then bounced upward once more.

 

"I don't like people who attack when their opponent's back's turned," growled Moody as the ferret bounced higher and higher, squealing in pain. "Stinking, cowardly, scummy thing to do..."

 

The ferret flew through the air, its legs and tail flailing helplessly.

 

"Never - do - that - again -" said Moody, speaking each word as the ferret hit the stone floor and bounced upward again.

Taunna started laughing harder.

 

"Professor Moody!" said a shocked voice.

 

Professor McGonagall was coming down the marble staircase with her arms full of books.

 

"Hello, Professor McGonagall," said Moody calmly, bouncing the ferret still higher.

 

"What - what are you doing?" said Professor McGonagall, her eyes following the bouncing ferret's progress through the air.

 

"Teaching," said Moody.

 

"Teach - Moody, is that a student?" shrieked Professor McGonagall, the books spilling out of her arms.

 

"Yep," said Moody.

 

"No!" cried Professor McGonagall, running down the stairs and pulling out her wand; a moment later, with a loud snapping noise, Draco Malfoy had reappeared, lying in a heap on the floor with his sleek blond hair all over his now brilliantly pink face. He got to his feet, wincing. Taunna now hit her tongue. She did this so hard there was blood in her mouth; This was too funny.

"Moody, we never use Transfiguration as a punishment!" said Professor McGonagall sternly.

 

"Surely Professor Dumbledore told you that?"

 

"He might've mentioned it, yeah," said Moody, scratching his chin unconcernedly, "but I thought a good sharp shock -"

 

"We give detentions, Moody! Or speak to the offender's Head of House!"

 

"I'll do that, then," said Moody, staring at Malfoy with great dislike.

 

Malfoy, whose pale eyes were still watering with pain and humiliation, looked malevolently up at Moody and muttered something in which the words "my father" were distinguishable.

 

"Oh yeah?" said Moody quietly, limping forward a few steps, the dull clunk of his wooden leg echoing around the hall. "Well, I know your father of old, boy. You tell him Moody's keeping a close eye on his son. . . you tell him that from me. . . . Now, your Head of House'll be Snape, will it?"

 

"Yes," said Malfoy resentfully.

 

"Another old friend," growled Moody. "I've been looking forward to a chat with old Snape.

 

. . . Come on, you. . ."

 

And he seized Malfoy's upper arm and marched him off toward the dungeons. Taunna broke into fits of laughter again as soon as they were out of earshot.  
"You think that's funny, ms. Tonks?" McGonagall snapped.  
"No." Taunna caught herself again.


	7. Defense Against The Dark Arts

The Gryffindor fourth years were looking forward to Moody's first lesson so much that they arrived early on Thursday lunchtime and queued up outside his classroom before the bell had even rung. The only person missing was Hermione, who turned up just in time for the lesson.

 

Taunna walked in and pulled out her copy of The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection, and waited, unusually quiet. 

"So, you're still Gryffindor? You've been hanging 'round Malfoy so much I thought you moved to Slytherin." Ron said, venomously.

"Ron, you can't change houses," Hermione said.

Soon they heard Moody's distinctive clunking footsteps coming down the corridor, and he entered the room, looking as strange and frightening as ever. They could just see his clawed, wooden foot protruding from underneath his robes.

 

"You can put those away," he growled, stomping over to his desk and sitting down, "those books. You won't need them."

 

They returned the books to their bags, Ron looking excited.

 

Moody took out a register, shook his long mane of grizzled grey hair out of his twisted and scarred face, and began to call out names, his normal eye moving steadily down the list while his magical eye swivelled around, fixing upon each student as he or she answered.

 

"Right then," he said, when the last person had declared themselves present, "I've had a letter from Professor Lupin about this class. Seems you've had a pretty thorough grounding in tackling Dark creatures - you've covered boggarts, Red Caps, hinkypunks, grindylows, Kappas, and werewolves, is that right?"

 

There was a general murmur of assent.

 

"But you're behind - very behind - on dealing with curses," said Moody. "So I'm here to bring you up to scratch on what wizards can do to each other. I've got one year to teach you how to deal with Dark -"

 

"What, aren't you staying?" Ron blurted out.

 

Moody's magical eye spun around to stare at Ron; Ron looked extremely apprehensive, but after a moment Moody smiled.

 

 The effect was to make his heavily scarred face look more twisted and contorted than ever, but it was nevertheless good to know that he ever did anything as friendly as smile. Ron looked deeply relieved.

 

"You'll be Arthur Weasley's son, eh?" Moody said. "Your father got me out of a very tight corner a few days ago...  Yeah, I'm staying just the one year. Special favour to Dumbledore. . . . One year, and then back to my quiet retirement."

 

He gave a harsh laugh and then clapped his gnarled hands together.

 

"So - straight into it. Curses. They come in many strengths and forms. Now, according to the Ministry of Magic, I'm supposed to teach you countercurses and leave it at that.

 

I'm not supposed to show you what illegal Dark curses look like until you're in the sixth year. You're not supposed to be old enough to deal with it till then. But Professor Dumbledore's got a higher opinion of your nerves, he reckons you can cope, and I say, the sooner you know what you're up against, the better. How are you supposed to defend yourself against something you've never seen? A wizard who's about to put an illegal curse on you isn't going to tell you what he's about to do. He's not going to do it nice and polite to your face. You need to be prepared. You need to be alert and watchful. Of course, Some of you may not need it." His normal eye set on Taunna.

 

"You need to put that away, Miss Brown when I'm talking."

 

Lavender jumped and blushed. She had been showing Parvati her completed horoscope under the desk. Apparently, Moody's magical eye could see through solid wood, as well as out of the back of his head.

 

"So. . . do any of you know which curses are most heavily punished by wizarding law?"

 

Several hands rose tentatively into the air, including Ron's and Hermione's. Moody pointed at Ron, though his magical eye was still fixed on Lavender.

 

"Er," said Ron tentatively, "my dad told me about one.. ... Is it called the Imperius Curse or something?"

 

"Ah, yes," said Moody appreciatively. "Your father would know that one. Gave the Ministry a lot of trouble at one time, the Imperius Curse."

 

Moody got heavily to his mismatched feet, opened his desk drawer, and took out a glass jar. Three large black spiders were scuttling around inside it. Harry felt Ron recoil slightly next to him - Ron hated spiders.

 

Moody reached into the jar, caught one of the spiders, and held it in the palm of his hand so that they could all see it. He then pointed his wand at it and muttered, "Imperio!"

 

The spider leapt from Moody's hand on a fine thread of silk and began to swing backwards and forward as though on a trapeze. It stretched out its legs rigidly, then did a backflip, breaking the thread and landing on the desk, where it began to cartwheel in circles. Moody jerked his wand, and the spider rose onto two of its hind legs and went into what was unmistakably a tap dance.

 

Everyone was laughing - everyone except Moody.

 

"Think it's funny, do you?" he growled. "You'd like it, would you, if I did it to you?"

 

The laughter died away almost instantly.

 

"Total control," said Moody quietly as the spider balled itself up and began to roll over and over. "I could make it jump out of the window, drown itself, throw itself down one of your throats. . ."

 

Ron gave an involuntary shudder.

 

"Years back, there were a lot of witches and wizards being controlled by the Imperius Curse," said Moody, and Harry knew he was talking about the days in which Voldemort had been all-powerful. "Some job for the Ministry, trying to sort out who was being forced to act, and who was acting of their own free will.

 

"The Imperius Curse can be fought, and I'll be teaching you how, but it takes real strength of character, and not everyone's got it. Better avoid being hit with it if you can. CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" he barked, and everyone jumped.

 

Moody picked up the somersaulting spider and threw it back into the jar.

 

"Anyone else know one? Another illegal curse?"

 

Hermione's hand flew into the air again and so, to Harry's slight surprise, did Neville's. The only class in which Neville usually volunteered information was Herbology which was easily his best subject. Neville looked surprised at his own daring.

 

"Yes?" said Moody, his magical eye rolling right over to fix on Neville.

 

"There's one - the Cruciatus Curse," said Neville in a small but distinct voice.

 

Moody was looking very intently at Neville, this time with both eyes.

 

"Your name's Longbottom?" he said, his magical eye swooping down to check the register again.

 

Neville nodded nervously, but Moody made no further inquiries. Turning back to the class at large, he reached into the jar for the next spider and placed it upon the desktop, where it remained motionless, apparently too scared to move.

 

"The Cruciatus Curse," said Moody. "Needs to be a bit bigger for you to get the idea,"

 

he said, pointing his wand at the spider. "Engorgio!"

 

The spider swelled. It was now larger than a tarantula. Abandoning all pretence, Ron pushed his chair backwards, as far away from Moody's desk as possible.

 

Moody raised his wand again, pointed it at the spider, and muttered, "Crucio!"

 

At once, the spider's legs bent in upon its body; it rolled over and began to twitch horribly, rocking from side to side. No sound came from it, but Harry was sure that if it could have given voice, it would have been screaming. Moody did not remove his wand, and the spider started to shudder and jerk more violently - "Stop it!" Hermione said shrilly."

 

Harry looked around at her. She was looking, not at the spider, but at Neville, who looked absolutely shell-shocked.  
Taunna exhaled.  
Moody raised his wand. The spider's legs relaxed, but it continued to twitch.

"Reducio," Moody muttered, and the spider shrank back to its proper size. He put it back into the jar.

"Pain," said Moody softly. "You don't need thumbscrews or knives to torture someone if you can perform the Cruciatus Curse. . . . That one was very popular once too.

"Right. . . anyone know any others?"

Harry looked around. From the looks on everyone's faces, he guessed they were all wondering what was going to happen to the last spider. Hermione's hand shook slightly as, for the third time, she raised it into the air.

"Yes?" said Moody, looking at her.

"Avada Kedavra," Hermione whispered.

Several people looked uneasily around at her, including Ron.

"Ah," said Moody, another slight smile twisting his lopsided mouth. "Yes, the last and worst. Avada Kedavra. .. the Killing Curse."

He put his hand into the glass jar, and almost as though it knew what was coming, the third spider scuttled frantically around the bottom of the jar, trying to evade Moody's fingers, but he trapped it and placed it upon the desktop. It started to scuttle frantically across the wooden surface.

Moody raised his wand, and Taunna held her breath. He wouldn't-

"Avada Kedavra!" Moody roared.  
-He did.

There was a flash of blinding green light and a rushing sound, as though a vast, invisible something was soaring through the air - instantaneously the spider rolled over onto its back, unmarked, but unmistakably dead. Several of the students stifled cries; Ron had thrown himself backwards and almost toppled off his seat as the spider skidded toward him.

Moody swept the dead spider off the desk onto the floor.

"Not nice," he said calmly. "Not pleasant. And there's no countercurse. There's no blocking it. Only one known person has ever survived it, and he's sitting right in front of me."  
Taunna felt a pit form in her stomach.  
No wonder they called him Mad.  
He was insane.  
Taunna waited until the end of class and blazed out of there like lightning.  
Why did this affect her so much?  
"Hurry up," Hermione said tensely to Harry and Ron.

"Not the ruddy library again?" said Ron.

"No," said Hermione curtly, pointing up a side passage. "Neville." Neville was standing alone, halfway up the passage, staring at the stone wall opposite him with the same horrified, wide-eyed look he had worn when Moody had demonstrated the Cruciatus Curse.

"Neville?" Hermione said gently.

Neville looked around.

"Oh hello," he said, his voice much higher than usual. "Interesting lesson, wasn't it?

I wonder what's for dinner, I'm - I'm starving, aren't you?"

"Neville, are you all right?" said Hermione.

"Oh yes, I'm fine," Neville gabbled in the same unnaturally high voice. "Very interesting dinner - I mean lesson - what's for eating?"

Ron gave Harry a startled look.

"Neville, what - ?"  
Taunna sped off before anymore happened.  
How had Dumbledore allowed a complete nutter to teach here?

 


	8. The Inperius Curse For Dummies

The next few lessons were alright, but then they hit a doozy.

To their surprise, Professor Moody had announced that he would be putting the Imperius Curse on each of them in turn, to demonstrate its power and to see whether they could resist its effects.

 

"But - but you said it's illegal, Professor," said Hermione uncertainly as Moody cleared away the desks with a sweep of his wand, leaving a large clear space in the middle of the room. "You said - to use it against another human was -"

 

"Dumbledore wants you taught what it feels like," said Moody, his magical eye swiveling onto Hermione and fixing her with an eerie, unblinking stare. "If you'd rather learn the hard way - when someone's putting it on you so they can control you completely - fine by me. You're excused. Off you go."

 

He pointed one gnarled finger toward the door. Hermione went very pink and muttered something about not meaning that she wanted to leave. Harry and Ron grinned at each other. They knew Hermione would rather eat bubotuber pus than miss such an important lesson.

 

Moody began to beckon students forward in turn and put the Imperius Curse upon them.

 

Harry watched as, one by one, his classmates did the most extraordinary things under its influence. Dean Thomas hopped three times around the room, singing the national anthem.

 

Lavender Brown imitated a squirrel. Neville performed a series of quite astonishing gymnastics he would certainly not have been capable of in his normal state. Not one of them seemed to be able to fight off the curse, and each of them recovered only when Moody had removed it.

 

"Potter," Moody growled, "you next."

 

Harry moved forward into the middle of the classroom, into the space that Moody had cleared of desks. Moody raised his wand, pointed it at Harry, and said, '1mperio!"

 

Harry jumped on the desk. Taunna shook her head.

There was no way this was right.

Then, Harry smashed headlong into the desk knocking it over. Taunna inhaled sharply.

 

"Now, that's more like it!" growled Moody.

 

"Look at that, you lot. . . Potter fought! He fought it, and he damn near beat it!

 

We'll try that again, Potter, and the rest of you, pay attention - watch his eyes, that's where you see it - very good, Potter, very good indeed! They'll have trouble controlling you!"

 Taunna  had watched and felt the same,sick feeling in her stomach.  
  
All the fourth years, including Taunna had noticed a definite increase in the amount of work they were required to do this term. Professor McGonagall explained why, when the class gave a particularly loud groan at the amount of Transfiguration homework she had assigned.  
  
"You are now entering a most important phase of your magical education!" she told them, her eyes glinting dangerously behind her square spectacles. "Your Ordinary Wizarding Levels are drawing closer --"  
  
"We don't take O.W.L.s until fifth year!" s aid Dean Thomas indignantly.  
  
"Maybe not, Thomas, but believe me, you need all the preparation you can get! Miss Granger remains the only person in this class who has managed to turn a hedgehog into a satisfactory pincushion. I might remind you that your pincushion, Thomas, still curls up in fright if anyone approaches it with a pin!" Taunna giggled, although she was one to talk. Transfiguration wasn't her best subject.  
  
Hermione, who had turned rather pink again, seemed to be trying not to look too pleased with herself.  
When they arrived in the entrance hall, they found themselves unable to proceed owing to the large crowd of students congregated there, all milling around a large sign that had been erected at the foot of the marble staircase. Taunna appeared beside them.

"What's going on?" She asked.

Ron, the tallest of the four,stood on tiptoe to see over the heads in front of them and read the sign aloud to the other three:

 

TRIWIZARD TOURNAMENT THE DELEGATIONS FROM BEAUXBATONS AND DURMSTRANG WILL BE ARRIVING AT 6 O'CLOCK ON FRIDAY THE 30TH OF OCTOBER. LESSONS WILL END HALF AN HOUR EARLY -- "Brilliant!" said Harry. "It's Potions last thing on Friday! Snape won't have time to poison us all!"

 

STUDENTS WILL RETURN THEIR BAGS AND BOOKS TO THEIR DORMITORIES AND ASSEMBLE IN FRONT OF THE CASTLE TO GREET OUR GUESTS BEFORE THE WELCOMING FEAST.

 

"Only a week away!" said Ernie Macmillan of Hufflepuff, emerging from the crowd, his eyes gleaming. "I wonder if Cedric knows? Think I'll go and tell him. . . ."

 

"Cedric?" said Ron blankly as Ernie hurried off.

 

"Diggory," said Harry. "He must be entering the tournament."

 

"That idiot, Hogwarts champion?" said Ron as they pushed their way through the chattering crowd toward the staircase.

 

"He's not an idiot. You just don't like him because he beat Gryffindor at Quidditch,"

 

said Hermione. "I've heard he's a really good student - and he's a prefect."

 

She spoke as though this settled the matter.

"He nearly killed me at the cup. If he'd hit my ribs any harder, he would've." Taunna snapped.

"An accident," Hermione said.

"You only like him because he's handsome," said Ron scathingly.

 

"Excuse me, I don't like people just because they're handsome!" said Hermione indignantly.

 

Ron gave a loud false cough, which sounded oddly like "Lockhart!"

 

The appearance of the sign in the entrance hall had a marked effect upon the inhabitants of the castle.  Taunna couldn't go anywhere without hearing about it.

Rumours were flying from student to student like highly contagious germs: who was going to try for Hogwarts champion, what the tournament would involve, how the students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang differed from themselves.

Several grimy portraits had been scrubbed, much to the displeasure of their subjects, who sat huddled in their frames muttering darkly and wincing as they felt their raw pink faces. The suits of armor were suddenly gleaming and moving without squeaking, and Argus Filch, the caretaker, was behaving so ferociously to any students who forgot to wipe their shoes that he terrified a pair of first-year girls into hysterics.

 

Other members of the staff seemed oddly tense too.

 

"Longbottom, kindly do not reveal that you can't even perform a simple Switching Spell in front of anyone from Durmstrang!" Professor McGonagall barked at the end of one particularly difficult lesson, during which Neville had accidentally transplanted his own ears onto a cactus.

 

When they went down to breakfast on the morning of the thirtieth of October, they found that the Great Hall had been decorated overnight. Enormous silk banners hung from the walls, each of them representing a Hogwarts House: red with a gold lion for Gryffiindor, blue with a bronze eagle for Ravenclaw, yellow with a black badger for Hufflepuff, and green with a silver serpent for Slytherin. Behind the teachers' table, the largest banner of all bore the Hogwarts coat of arms: lion, eagle, badger, and snake united around a large letter H.

 

Harry, Ron,Taunna and Hermione sat down beside Fred and George at the Gryffindor table. Once again, and most unusually, they were sitting apart from everyone else and conversing in low voices. Ron led the way over to them.

 

"It's a bummer, all right," George was saying gloomily to Fred. "But if he won't talk to us in person, we'll have to send him the letter after all. Or we'll stuff it into his hand. He can't avoid us forrever.

 

"Who's avoiding you?" said Ron, sitting down next to them.

 

"Wish you would," said Fred, looking irritated at the interruption.

 

"What's a bummer?" Ron asked George.

 

"Having a nosy git like you for a brother," said George.

 

"You two got any ideas on the Triwizard Tournament yet?" Harry asked. "Thought any more about trying to enter?"

 

"I asked McGonagall how the champions are chosen but she wasn't telling," said George bitterly. "She just told me to shut up and get on with transfiguring my raccoon."

 

"Wonder what the tasks are going to be?" said Ron thoughtfully. "You know, I bet we could do them, Harry. We've done dangerous stuff before. . . ."

 

"Not in front of a panel of judges, you haven't," said Fred. "McGonagall says the champions get awarded points according to how well they've done the tasks."

 

"Who are the judges?" Harry asked.

 

"Well, the Heads of the participating schools are always on the panel," said Hermione, and everyone looked around at her, rather surprised, "because all three of them were injured during the Tournament of 1792, when a cockatrice the champions were supposed to be catching went on the rampage."

 

She noticed them all looking at her and said, with her usual air of impatience that nobody else had read all the books she had, "It's all in Hogwarts, A History. Though, of course, that book's not entirely reliable. A Revised History of Hogwarts would be a more accurate title. Or A Highly Biased and Selective History of Hogwarts, Which Glosses Over the Nastier Aspects of the School."

 

"What are you on about?" said Ron, though Harry thought he knew what was coming.

 

"House-elves!" said Hermione, her eyes flashing. "Not once, in over a thousand pages, does Hogwarts, A History mention that we are all colluding in the oppression of a hundred slaves!"

"You know, Hermione. I think you're right."

"What?" Harry and Ron turned to her.

"What? Would you appreciate it if I made you do my dirty work? This is the 1990's,for chrissakes! Slavery is wrong. They should be getting paid, or at leat have better work attire." Taunna said.

"Thank you, Taunna," Hermione said.

 

Ron now rolled his eyes at the ceiling, which was flooding them all in autumn sunlight, and Fred became extremely interested in his bacon (both twins had refused to buy a S.P.E.W. badge). Taunna, however, was actively interested.

 

There was a pleasant feeling of anticipation in the air that day. Nobody was very attentive in lessons, being much more interested in the arrival that evening of the people from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang; even Potions was more bearable than usual, as it was half an hour shorter. When the bell rang early, Harry, Ron,Taunna and Hermione hurried up to Gryffindor Tower, deposited their bags and books as they had been instructed, pulled on their cloaks, and rushed back downstairs into the entrance hall.

 

The Heads of Houses were ordering their students into lines.

 

"Weasley, straighten your hat," Professor McGonagall snapped at Ron. "Miss Patil, take that ridiculous thing out of your hair."

 

Parvati scowled and removed a large ornamental butterfly from the end of her plait.

 

"Follow me, please," said Professor McGonagall. "First years in front. . . no pushing." They filed down the steps and lined up in front of the castle. It was a cold, clear evening; dusk was falling and a pale, transparent-looking moon was already shining over the Forbidden Forest. Harry, standing between Ron and Hermione in the fourth row from the front, saw Dennis Creevey positively shivering with anticipation among the other first years.

 

"Nearly six," said Ron, checking his watch and then staring down the drive that led to the front gates. "How d'you reckon they're coming? The train?"

 

"I doubt it," said Hermione.

 

"How, then? Broomsticks?" Harry suggested, looking up at the starry sky.

 

"I don't think so. . . not from that far away..."

 

"A Portkey?" Ron suggested. "Or they could Apparate - maybe you're allowed to do it under seventeen wherever they come from?"

 

"You can't Apparate inside the Hogwarts grounds, how often do I have to tell you?" said Hermione impatiently.

"Maybe they are flying in? I mean, things other than brooms fly." Taunna said.

And then Dumbledore called out from the back row where he stood with the other teachers 

"Aha! Unless I am very much mistaken, the delegation from Beauxbatons approaches!"

 

"Where?" said many students eagerly, all looking in different directions.

 

"There!" yelled a sixth year, pointing over the forest.

 

Something large, much larger than a broomstick - or, indeed, a hundred broomsticks - was hurtling across the deep blue sky toward the castle, growing larger all the time.

 

"It's a dragon!" shrieked one of the first years, losing her head completely.

 

"Don't be stupid. . . it's a flying house!" said Dennis Creevey.

 

Dennis's guess was closer. . . . As the gigantic black shape skimmed over the treetops of the Forbidden Forest and the lights shining from the castle windows hit it, they saw a gigantic, powderblue, horse-drawn carriage, the size of a large house, soaring toward them, pulled through the air by a dozen winged horses, all palominos, and each the size of an elephant.

 

The front three rows of students drew backward as the carriage hurtled ever lower, coming in to land at a tremendous speed - then, with an almighty crash that made Neville jump backward onto a Slytherin fifth year's foot, the horses' hooves, larger than dinner plates, hit the ground. A second later, the carriage landed too, bouncing upon its vast wheels, while the golden horses tossed their enormous heads and rolled large, fiery red eyes.

Taunna smiled.

A boy in pale blue robes jumped down from the carriage, bent forward, fumbled for a moment with something on the carriage floor, and unfolded a set of golden steps. He sprang back respectfully.

shining, high-heeled black shoe emerging from the inside of the carriage - a shoe the size of a child's sled - followed, almost immediately, by the largest woman he had ever seen in his life. The size of the carriage, and of the horses, was immediately explained. A few people gasped.

Taunna thought it was Hagrid dressed as a woman for a minute.

But no, It was a woman.

As she stepped into the light flooding from the entrance hall, she was revealed to have a handsome, olive-skinned face; large, black, liquid-looking eyes; and a rather beaky nose.

 

Her hair was drawn back in a shining knob at the base of her neck. She was dressed from head to foot in black satin, and many magnificent opals gleamed at her throat and on her thick fingers.

 

Dumbledore started to clap; the students, following his lead, broke into applause too, many of them standing on tiptoe, the better to look at this woman.

 

Her face relaxed into a gracious smile and she walked forward toward Dumbledore, extending a glittering hand. Dumbledore, though tall himself, had barely to bend to kiss it.

 

"My dear Madame Maxime," he said. "Welcome to Hogwarts."

 

"Dumbly-dort," said Madame Maxime in a deep voice. "I 'ope I find you well?"

 

"In excellent form, I thank you," said Dumbledore.

 

"My pupils," said Madame Maxime, waving one of her enormous hands carelessly behind her.

A dozen boys and girls, all, by the look of them, in their late teens, had emerged from the carriage and were now standing behind Madame Maxime. They were shivering, which was unsurprising, given that their robes seemed to be made of fine silk, and none of them were wearing cloaks. A few had wrapped scarves and shawls around their heads. 

They were staring up at Hogwarts with apprehensive looks on their faces.

 

"As Karkaroff arrived yet?" Madame Maxime asked.

 

"He should be here any moment," said Dumbledore. "Would you like to wait here and greet him or would you prefer to step inside and warm up a trifle?"

 

"Warm up, I think," said Madame Maxime. "But ze 'orses -"

 

"Our Care of Magical Creatures teacher will be delighted to take care of them," said Dumbledore, "the moment he has returned from dealing with a slight situation that has arisen with some of his other - er - charges."

"My steeds require - er - forceful 'andling," said Madame Maxime, looking as though she doubted whether any Care of Magical Creatures teacher at Hogwarts could be up to the job.

 

"Zey are very strong. . . ."

 

"I assure you that Hagrid will be well up to the job," said Dumbledore, smiling.

 

"Very well," said Madame Maxime, bowing slightly. "Will you please inform zis 'Agrid zat ze 'orses drink only single-malt whisky?"

 

"It will be attended to," said Dumbledore, also bowing.

 

"Come," said Madame Maxime imperiously to her students, and the Hogwarts crowd parted to allow her and her students to pass up the stone steps.

 

loud and oddly eerie noise was drifting toward them from out of the darkness: a muffled rumbling and sucking sound, as though an immense vacuum cleaner were moving along a riverbed.

 

"The lake!" yelled Lee Jordan, pointing down at it. "Look at the lake!"

 

From their position at the top of the lawns overlooking the grounds, they had a clear view of the smooth black surface of the water - except that the surface was suddenly not smooth at all. Some disturbance was taking place deep in the center; great bubbles were forming on the surface, waves were now washing over the muddy banks - and then, out in the very middle of the lake, a whirlpool appeared, as if a giant plug had just been pulled out of the lake's floor. .

 

What seemed to be a long, black pole began to rise slowly out of the heart of the whirlpool.

Slowly, magnificently, the ship rose out of the water, gleaming in the moonlight. It had a strangely skeletal look about it, as though it were a resurrected wreck, and the dim, misty lights shimmering at its portholes looked like ghostly eyes. Finally, with a great sloshing noise, the ship emerged entirely, bobbing on the turbulent water, and began to glide toward the bank. A few moments later, they heard the splash of an anchor being thrown down in the shallows, and the thud of a plank being lowered onto the bank.

 

People were disembarking; they could see their silhouettes passing the lights in the ship's portholes. All of them, Harry noticed, seemed to be built along the lines of Crabbe and Goyle... but then, as they drew nearer, walking up the lawns into the light streaming from the entrance hall, he saw that their bulk was really due to the fact that they were wearing cloaks of some kind of shaggy, matted fur. But the man who was leading them up to the castle was wearing furs of a different sort: sleek and silver, like his hair.

 

"Dumbledore!" he called heartily as he walked up the slope. "How are you, my dear fellow, how are you?"

 

"Blooming, thank you, Professor Karkaroff," Dumbledore replied. Karkaroff had a fruity, unctuous voice; when he stepped into the light pouring from the front doors of the castle

 

they saw that he was tall and thin like Dumbledore, but his white hair was short, and his goatee (finishing in a small curl) did not entirely hide his rather weak chin. When he reached Dumbledore, he shook hands with both of his own.

 

"Dear old Hogwarts," he said, looking up at the castle and smiling; his teeth were rather yellow, and Harry noticed that his smile did not extend to his eyes, which remained cold and shrewd. "How good it is to be here, how good.. . . Viktor, come along, into the warmth. . . you don't mind, Dumbledore? Viktor has a slight head cold..."

 

Karkaroff beckoned forward one of his students.

Taunna withheld a sarcastic "eugh".

It was Viktor Krum. 


	9. The Triwizard Tournament

"The moment has come," said Dumbledore, smiling around at the sea of upturned faces. "The Triwizard Tournament is about to start. I would like to say a few words of explanation before we bring in the casket --"

Taunna went pale.

"The what?" Harry muttered.

Ron shrugged.

"- just to clarify the procedure that we will be following this year. But first, let me introduce, for those who do not know them, Mr. Bartemius Crouch, Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation" - there was a smattering of polite applause - "and Mr. Ludo Bagman, Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports."

There was a much louder round of applause for Bagman than for Crouch, perhaps because of his fame as a Beater, or simply because he looked so much more likable. He acknowledged it with a jovial wave of his hand. Bartemius Crouch did not smile or wave when his name was announced. Remembering him in his neat suit at the Quidditch World Cup, he looked strange in wizard's robes. His toothbrush mustache and severe parting looked very odd next to Dumbledore's long white hair and beard.

"Mr. Bagman and Mr. Crouch have worked tirelessly over the last few months on the arrangements for the Triwizard Tournament," Dumbledore continued, "and they will be joining myself, Professor Karkaroff, and Madame Maxime on the panel that will judge the champions' efforts."

At the mention of the word "champions," the attentiveness of the listening students seemed to sharpen. Perhaps Dumbledore had noticed their sudden stillness, for he smiled as he said, "The casket, then, if you please, Mr. Filch."

Filch, who had been lurking unnoticed in a far corner of the Hall, now approached Dumbledore carrying a great wooden chest encrusted with jewels. It looked extremely old.

A murmur of excited interest rose from the watching students; Dennis Creevey actually stood on his chair to see it properly, but, being so tiny, his head hardly rose above anyone else's.

"The instructions for the tasks the champions will face this year have already been examined by Mr. Crouch and Mr. Bagman," said Dumbledore as Filch placed the chest carefully on the table before him, "and they have made the necessary arrangements for each challenge. There will be three tasks, spaced throughout the school year, and they will test the champions in many different ways.. their magical prowess - their daring -their powers of deduction - and, of course, their ability to cope with danger."

At this last word, the Hall was filled with a silence so absolute that nobody seemed to be breathing.

"As you know, three champions compete in the tournament," Dumbledore went on calmly, "one from each of the participating schools. They will be marked on how well they perform each of the Tournament tasks and the champion with the highest total after task three will win the Triwizard Cup. The champions will be chosen by an impartial selector: the Goblet of Fire."

Dumbledore now took out his wand and tapped three times upon the top of the casket. The lid creaked slowly open. Dumbledore reached inside it and pulled out a large, roughly hewn wooden cup. It would have been entirely unremarkable had it not been full to the brim with dancing blue-white flames.

Dumbledore closed the casket and placed the goblet carefully on top of it, where it would be clearly visible to everyone in the Hall.

"Anybody wishing to submit themselves as champion must write their name and school clearly upon a slip of parchment and drop it into the goblet," said Dumbledore. "Aspiring champions have twenty-four hours in which to put their names forward. Tomorrow night, Halloween, the goblet will return the names of the three it has judged most worthy to represent their schools. The goblet will be placed in the entrance hall tonight, where it will be freely accessible to all those wishing to compete.

"To ensure that no underage student yields to temptation," said Dumbledore, "I will be drawing an Age Line around the Goblet of Fire once it has been placed in the entrance hall. Nobody under the age of seventeen will be able to cross this line.

"Finally, I wish to impress upon any of you wishing to compete that this tournament is not to be entered into lightly. Once a champion has been selected by the Goblet of Fire, he or she is obliged to see the tournament through to the end. The placing of your name in the goblet constitutes a binding, magical contract. There can be no change of heart once you have become a champion. Please be very sure, therefore, that you are wholeheartedly prepared to play before you drop your name into the goblet. Now, I think it is time for bed. Good night to you all."

"An Age Line!" Fred Weasley said, his eyes glinting, as they all made their way across the Hall to the doors into the entrance hall. "Well, that should be fooled by an Aging Potion, shouldn't it? And once your name's in that goblet, you're laughing - it can't tell whether you're seventeen or not!"

"But I don't think anyone under seventeen will stand a chance," said Hermione, "we just haven't learned enough. . ."

"Speak for yourself," said George shortly. "You'll try and get in, won't you, Harry?"

"He will not, unless he wants to get a good ass kicking." Taunna snapped.

Harry laughed weakly.

"You're not." Taunna had a glare reminiscent of McGonagall.

"No, I just thought about it," Harry said.

Taunna rolled her eyes.

 "Where is he?" said Ron, who wasn't listening to a word of this conversation, but looking through the crowd to see what had become of Krum. "Dumbledore didn't say where the Durmstrang people are sleeping, did he?"

But this query was answered almost instantly; they were level with the Slytherin table now, and Karkaroff had just bustled up to his students.

"Back to the ship, then," he was saying. "Viktor, how are you feeling? Did you eat enough? Should I send for some mulled wine from the kitchens?"

He turned his head back to Harry and stared at him as though he couldn't believe his eyes.

Behind their headmaster, the students from Durmstrang came to a halt too. Karkaroff's eyes moved slowly up Harry's face and fixed upon his scar. The Durmstrang students were staring curiously at Harry too.  His eyes flickered over Taunna, hovering on her arm.  She felt slightly uncomfortable.

She knew who Karkaroff was and she didn't like that she was no less than 6 feet from him. She latched onto Harry's arm. Harry shot her a confused look.

"Yeah, that's Harry Potter,and she's exactly who you think she is too."  said a growling voice from behind them.

Professor Karkaroff spun around. Mad-Eye Moody was standing there, leaning heavily on his staff, his magical eye glaring unblinkingly at the Durmstrang headmaster.

The color drained from Karkaroff's face. A terrible look of mingled fury and fear came over him.

"You!" he said, staring at Moody as though unsure he was really seeing him.

"Me," said Moody grimly. "And unless you've got anything to say to Potter or Tonks, Karkaroff, you might want to move. You're blocking the doorway."

It was true; half the students in the Hall were now waiting behind them, looking over one another's shoulders to see what was causing the holdup. 

Without another word, Professor Karkaroff swept his students away with him. Moody watched him until he was out of sight, his magical eye fixed upon his back, a look of intense dislike upon his mutilated face.

Harry turned to Taunna.

"What was that about?" He asked.

"Not here!" She said. She dragged him to the common room She waited until pretty well everyone had gone to bed 

"Why did you grab my arm like someone was going to murder you?"

" _Karkaroff was a Death Eater_." Taunna whispered. Harry felt like he was going to have a heart attack.

Karkaroff was a _Death Eater_ and Dumbledore let him into _Hogwarts_?

"But why would Dumbledore"

"Well, he was pardoned by the Ministry after Voldemort fell," Taunna said.

"And she's exactly who you think she is"

"The only time any of the Death Eaters saw me was when I was a baby,Harry. But the eyes are a dead giveaway every time. Just like you."

"If one more person says I have my mother's eyes, I'm going to scream. I bloody well know I have my mother’s eyes." Harry snapped. 


	10. The Goblet of Fire

As the next day was Saturday, most students would normally have breakfasted late. Harry, Ron, Taunna and Hermione however, were not alone in rising much earlier than they usually did on weekends. When they went down into the entrance hall, they saw about twenty people milling around it, some of them eating toast, all examining the Goblet of Fire. It had been placed in the centre of the hall on the stool that normally bore the Sorting Hat. A thin golden line had been traced on the floor, forming a circle ten feet around it in every direction.

"Anyone put their name in yet?" Ron asked a third-year girl eagerly.

"All the Durmstrang lot," she replied. "But I haven't seen anyone from Hogwarts yet."

"Bet some of them put it in last night after we'd all gone to bed," said Harry. "I would've if it had been me. . . wouldn't have wanted everyone watching. What if the goblet just gobbed you right back out again?"

Someone laughed behind Harry. Turning, he saw Fred, George, and Lee Jordan hurrying down the staircase, all three of them looking extremely excited.

"Done it," Fred said in a triumphant whisper to Harry, Ron, and Hermione. "Just taken it."

"What?" said Ron.

"The Aging Potion, dung brains," said Fred.

"One drop each," said George, rubbing his hands together with glee. "We only need to be a few months older."

"We're going to split the thousand Galleons between the three of us if one of us wins," said Lee, grinning broadly.

"I'm not sure this is going to work, you know," said Hermione warningly. "I'm sure Dumbledore will have thought of this."

Fred, George, and Lee ignored her.

"Ready?" Fred said to the other two, quivering with excitement. "C'mon, then - I'll go first -"

Taunna rolled her eyes.

Fred pulled a slip of parchment out of his pocket bearing the words Fred Weasley - Hogwarts. Fred walked right up to the edge of the line and stood there, rocking on his toes like a diver preparing for a fifty-foot drop. Then, with the eyes of every person in the entrance hall upon him, he took a great breath and stepped over the line.

Taunna's eyes dilated. It couldn't have worked.

There was no way!

George let out a yell of triumph and leapt after Fred - but next moment, there was a loud sizzling sound, and both twins were hurled out of the golden circle as though they had been thrown by an invisible shot-putter. They landed painfully, ten feet away on the cold stone floor, and to add insult to injury, there was a loud popping noise, and both of them sprouted identical long white beards.

The entrance hall rang with laughter. Even Fred and George joined in, once they had gotten to their feet and taken a good look at each other's beards.

"I did warn you," said a deep, amused voice, and everyone turned to see Professor Dumbledore coming out of the Great Hall. He surveyed Fred and George, his eyes twinkling. "I suggest you both go up to Madam Pomfrey. She is already tending to Miss Fawcett, of Ravenclaw, and Mr Summers, of Hufflepuff, both of whom decided to age themselves up a little too. Though I must say, neither of their beards is anything like as fine as yours."

Fred and George set off for the hospital wing, accompanied by Lee, who was howling with laughter, and Harry, Ron, Taunna and Hermione also chortling, went into breakfast.

The decorations in the Great Hall had changed this morning. As it was Halloween, a cloud of live bats was fluttering around the enchanted ceiling, while hundreds of carved pumpkins leered from every corner. Harry led the way over to Dean and Seamus, who were discussing those Hogwarts students of seventeen or over who might be entering.

"There's a rumour going around that Warrington got up early and put his name in," Dean told Harry. "That big bloke from Slytherin who looks like a sloth."

Harry shook his head in disgust.

"We can't have a Slytherin champion!"

"And all the Hufflepuffs are talking about Diggory," said Seamus contemptuously. "But I wouldn't have thought he'd have wanted to risk his good looks."

"Listen!" said Hermione suddenly.

People were cheering out in the entrance hall. They all swivelled around in their seats and saw Angelina Johnson coming into the Hall, grinning in an embarrassed sort of way. A tall black girl who played Chaser on the Gryffindor Quidditch team, Angelina came over to them, sat down, and said, "Well, I've done it! Just put my name in!"

"You're kidding!" said Ron, looking impressed.

"Are you seventeen, then?" asked Harry.

"Course she is, can't see a beard, can you?" said Ron.

"I had my birthday last week," said Angelina.

"Well, I'm glad someone from Gryffindor's entering," said Hermione. "I really hope you get it, Angelina!"

"Thanks, Hermione," said Angelina, smiling at her.

Yeah, better you than Pretty-Boy Diggory," said Seamus, causing several Hufflepuffs passing their table to scowl heavily at him.

"What're we going to do today, then?" Ron asked Harry and Hermione when they had finished breakfast and were leaving the Great Hall.

"We haven't been down to visit Hagrid yet," said Harry.

"Okay," said Ron, "just as long as he doesn't ask us to donate a few fingers to the skrewts."

A look of great excitement suddenly dawned on Hermione's face.

"I've just realised - I haven't asked Hagrid to join S.P.E.W. yet!" she said brightly.

"Wait for me, will you, while I nip upstairs and get the badges?"

"What is it with her?" said Ron, exasperated, as Hermione ran away up the marble staircase.

"Hey, Ron," said Harry suddenly. "It's your friend. . ."

The students from Beauxbatons were coming through the front doors from the grounds, among them, the veela-girl. Those gathered around the Goblet of Fire stood back to let them pass, watching eagerly.

Madame Maxime entered the hall behind her students and organised them into a line. One by one, the Beauxbatons students stepped across the Age Line and dropped their slips of parchment into the blue-white flames. As each name entered the fire, it turned briefly red and emitted sparks.

"What d'you reckon'll happen to the ones who aren't chosen?" Ron muttered to Harry as the veela-girl dropped her parchment into the Goblet of Fire. "Reckon they'll go back to school, or hang around to watch the tournament?"

"Dunno," said Harry. "Hang around, I suppose.... Madame Maxime's staying to judge, isn't she?"

When all the Beauxbatons students had submitted their names, Madame Maxime led them back out of the hall and out onto the grounds again.

"Where are they sleeping, then?" said Ron, moving toward the front doors and staring after them.

A loud rattling noise behind them announced Hermione's reappearance with the box of S. P.E.W. badges.

"Oh good, hurry up," said Ron, and he jumped down the stone steps, keeping his eyes on the back of the veela-girl, who was now halfway across the lawn with Madame Maxime.

As they neared Hagrid's cabin on the edge of the Forbidden Forest, the mystery of the Beauxbatons' sleeping quarters was solved. The gigantic powder-blue carriage in which they had arrived had been parked two hundred yards from Hagrid's front door, and the students were climbing back inside it. The elephantine flying horses that had pulled the carriage were now grazing in a makeshift paddock alongside it.

Harry knocked on Hagrid's door, and Fang's booming barks answered instantly.

"Bout time!" said Hagrid, when he'd flung open the door. "Thought you lot'd forgotten where I live!"

"We've been really busy, Hag -" Hermione started to say, but then she stopped dead, looking up at Hagrid, apparently lost for words.

Taunna had to hold back a snicker.

Hagrid was wearing his best (and very horrible) hairy brown suit, plus a checked yellow-and-orange tie. This wasn't the worst of it, though; he had evidently tried to tame his hair, using large quantities of what appeared to be axle grease. It was now slicked down into two bunches - perhaps he had tried a ponytail like Bill's but found he had too much hair. The look didn't really suit Hagrid at all. For a moment, Hermione goggled at him, then, obviously deciding not to comment, she said, "Erm - where are the skrewts."

"Out by the pumpkin patch," said Hagrid happily. "They're get-tin' massive, mus' be nearly three foot long now. On'y trouble is, they've started killin' each other."

"Oh no, really?" said Hermione, shooting a repressive look at Ron, who, staring at Hagrid's odd hairstyle, had just opened his mouth to say something about it.

"Yeah," said Hagrid sadly. "S' okay, though, I've got 'em in separate boxes now. Still got abou' twenty."

"Well, that's lucky," said Ron. Hagrid missed the sarcasm.

Hagrid's cabin comprised a single room, in one corner of which was a gigantic bed covered in a patchwork quilt. A similarly enormous wooden table and chairs stood in front of the fire beneath the quantity of cured hams and dead birds hanging from the ceiling. They sat down at the table while Hagrid started to make tea, and were soon immersed in yet more discussion of the Triwizard Tournament. Hagrid seemed quite as excited about it as they were.

A light rain had started to fall by midafternoon; it was very cosy sitting by the fire, listening to the gentle patter of the drops on the window, watching Hagrid darning his socks and arguing with Hermione about house-elves - for he flatly refused to join S.P.E.W. when she showed him her badges.

"It'd be doin' 'em an unkindness, Hermione," he said gravely, threading a massive bone needle with thick yellow yarn. "It's in their nature ter look after humans, that's what they like, see? Yeh'd be makin' 'em unhappy ter take away their work, an' insutin' 'em if yeh tried ter pay 'em."

"But Harry set Dobby free, and he was over the moon about it!" said Hermione. "And we heard he's asking for wages now!"

"Yeah, well, yeh get weirdos in every breed. I'm not sayin' there isn't the odd elf who'd take freedom, but yeh'll never persuade most of 'em ter do it - no, nothin' doin', Hermione."

Hermione looked very cross indeed and stuffed her box of badges back into her cloak pocket.

By half past five, it was growing dark, and Ron, Harry, Taunna and Hermione decided it was time to get back up to the castle for the Halloween feast - and, more important, the announcement of the school champions.

"I'll come with yeh," said Hagrid, putting away his darning. "Jus' give us a sec."

Hagrid got up, went across to the chest of drawers beside his bed, and began searching for something inside it. They didn't pay too much attention until a truly horrible smell reached their nostrils. Coughing, Ron said, "Hagrid, what's that?"

"Eh?" said Hagrid, turning around with a large bottle in his hand. "Don' yeh like it?"

"Is that aftershave?" said Hermione in a slightly choked voice.

"Er - eau de cologne," Hagrid muttered. He was blushing. Taunna giggled.

"Maybe it's a bit much," he said gruffly. "I'll go take it off, hang on..."

He stomped out of the cabin, and they saw him washing vigorously in the water barrel outside the window.

"Eau de cologne?" said Hermione in amazement. "Hagrid?"

"And what's with the hair and the suit?" said Harry in an undertone.

"Look!" said Ron suddenly, pointing out of the window. Hagrid had just straightened up and turned 'round. If he had been blushing before, it was nothing to what he was doing now. Getting to their feet very cautiously, so that Hagrid wouldn't spot them, Harry, Ron, backwardTaunna and Hermione peered through the window and saw that Madame Maxime and the Beauxbatons students had just emerged from their carriage, clearly about to set off for the feast too. They couldn't hear what Hagrid was saying, but he was talking to Madame

Maxime with a rapt, misty-eyed expression Taunna had only ever seen him wear once before -when he had been looking at the baby dragon, Norbert.

"He's going up to the castle with her!" said Hermione indignantly. "I thought he was waiting for us!"

Without so mubackwardsglance at his cabin, Hagrid was trudging off up the grounds with Madame Maxime, the Beaux-batons students following in their wake, jogging to keep up with their enormous strides.

"He fancies her!" said Ron incredulously. "Well, if they end up having children, they'll be setting a world record - bet any baby of theirs would weigh about a ton."

They let themselves out of the cabin and shut the door behind them. It was surprisingly dark outside. Drawing their cloaks more closely around themselves, they set off up the sloping lawns.

"Ooh it's them, look!" Hermione whispered.

The Durmstrang party was walking up toward the castle from the lake. Viktor Krum was walking side by side with Karkaroff, and the other Durmstrang students were straggling along behind them. Hermione jabbed Taunna in the ribs.

"What?"

Hermione pointed to a Durmstrang fellow who hadn't taken his eyes off of Taunna since they caught up with the lot.Ron watched Krum excitedly, but Krum did not look around as he reached the front doors a little ahead of Hermione, Ron, Taunna and Harry and proceeded through them.

When they entered the candlelit Great Hall it was almost full. The Goblet of Fire had been moved; it was now standing in front of Dumbledore's empty chair at the teachers' table. Fred and George - clean-shaven again - seemed to have taken their disappointment fairly well.

"Hope it's Angelina," said Fred as Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat down.

"So do I!" said Hermione breathlessly. "Well, we'll soon know!"

The Halloween feast seemed to take much longer than usual. Perhaps because it was their second feast in two days Taunna didn't seem to fancy the extravagantly prepared food as much. She, Like everyone else in the Hall, judging by the constantly craning necks, the impatient expressions on every face, the fidgeting, and the standing up to see whether Dumbledore had finished eating yet.

Taunna simply wanted the plates to clear, and to hear who had been selected as champions.

At long last, the golden plates returned to their original spotless state; there was a sharp upswing in the level of noise within the Hall, which died away almost instantly as Dumbledore got to his feet. On either side of him, Professor Karkaroff and Madame Maxime looked as tense and expectant as anyone. Ludo Bagman was beaming and winking at various students. Mr. Crouch, however, looked quite uninterested, almost bored.

"Well, the goblet is almost ready to make its decision," said Dumbledore. "I estimate that it requires one more minute. Now, when the champions' names are called, I would ask them please to come up to the top of the Hall, walk along the staff table, and go through into the next chamber" - he indicated the door behind the staff table - "where they will be receiving their first instructions."

He took out his wand and gave a great sweeping wave with it; at once, all the candles except those inside the carved pumpkins were extinguished, plunging them into a state of semidarkness. The Goblet of Fire now shone more brightly than anything in the whole Hall, the sparkling bright, bluey-whiteness of the flames almost painful on the eyes.

The flames inside the goblet turned suddenly red again. Sparks began to fly from it.

Next moment, a tongue of flame shot into the air, a charred piece of parchment fluttered out of it - the whole room gasped.

Dumbledore caught the piece of parchment and held it at arm's length, so that he could read it by the light of the flames, which had turned back to blue-white.

"The champion for Durmstrang," he read, in a strong, clear voice, "will be Viktor Krum."

"No surprises there!" yelled Ron as a storm of applause and cheering swept the Hall.Viktor Krum rise from the Slytherin table and slouch up toward Dumbledore; he turned right, walked along the staff table, and disappeared through the door into the next chamber.

"Bravo, Viktor!" boomed Karkaroff, so loudly that everyone could hear him, even over all the applause. "Knew you had it in you!"

The clapping and chatting died down. Now everyone's attention was focused again on the goblet, which, seconds later, turned red once more. A second piece of parchment shot out of it, propelled by the flames.

"The champion for Beauxbatons," said Dumbledore, "is Fleur Delacour!"

"It's her, Ron!" Harry shouted as the girl who so resembled a veela got gracefully to her feet, shook back her sheet of silvery blonde hair, and swept up between the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables.

"Oh look, they're all disappointed," Hermione said over the noise, nodding toward the remainder of the Beauxbatons party. "Disappointed" was a bit of an understatement, Harry thought. Two of the girls who had not been selected had dissolved into tears and were sobbing with their heads on their arms. Taunna felt slightly bad for her.

When Fleur Delacour too had vanished into the side chamber, silence fell again, but this time it was a silence so stiff with excitement you could almost taste it. The Hogwarts champion next...

And the Goblet of Fire turned red once more; sparks showered out of it; the tongue of flame shot high into the air, and from its tip Dumbledore pulled the third piece of parchment.

"The Hogwarts champion," he called, "is Cedric Diggory!"

"No! " said Ron loudly, but nobody heard him.

Every single Hufflepuff had jumped to his or her feet, screaming and stamping, as Cedric made his way past them, grinning broadly, and headed off toward the chamber behind the teachers' table. Indeed, the applause for Cedric went on so long that it was some time before Dumbledore could make himself heard again.

"Excellent!" Dumbledore called happily as at last the tumult died down. "Well, we now have our three champions. I am sure I can count upon all of you, including the remaining students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, to give your champions every ounce of support you can muster. By cheering your champion on, you will contribute in a very real --"

But Dumbledore suddenly stopped speaking, and it was apparent to everybody what had distracted him.

The fire in the goblet had just turned red again. Sparks were flying out of it. Taunna watched, amazed as a  long flame shot suddenly into the air, and borne upon it was another piece of parchment.

Automatically, it seemed, Dumbledore reached out a long hand and seized the parchment. He held it out and stared at the name written upon it. There was a long pause, during which Dumbledore stared at the slip in his hands, and everyone in the room stared at Dumbledore. And then Dumbledore cleared his throat and read out - "Harry Potter."


	11. The Fourth Champion

Taunna's jaw nearly hit the floor and Hermione actually had to shut it for her.

It wasn't possible?

There was no applause. A buzzing, as though of angry bees, was starting to fill the Hall; some students were standing up to get a better look at Harry as he sat, frozen, in his seat.

Up at the top table, Professor McGonagall had got to her feet and swept past Ludo Bagman and Professor Karkaroff to whisper urgently to Professor Dumbledore, who bent his ear toward her, frowning slightly.

Harry turned to Taunna.

I didn't put my name in," Harry said blankly. "You know I didn't."

"Go." She ordered.

At the top table, Professor Dumbledore had straightened up, nodding to Professor McGonagall.

"Harry Potter!" he called again. "Harry! Up here, if you please!"

"Go on," Hermione whispered, giving Harry a slight push.

Harry got to his feet, trod on the hem of his robes, and stumbled slightly. He set off up the gap between the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables.

Taunna felt like she was having  57 heart attacks.

He wasn't even 17!

"Well.. . through the door, Harry," said Dumbledore. He wasn't smiling. 

Ron looked angry. Hermione, confused.

Taunna swallowed.

Later that night, when Harry returned to the Common Room, he found a party waiting.

"You should've told us you'd entered!" bellowed Fred; he looked half annoyed, half deeply impressed.

"How did you do it without getting a beard? Brilliant!" roared George.

"I didn't," Harry said. "I don't know how -"

But Angelina had now swooped down upon him; "Oh if it couldn't be me, at least it's a Gryffindor -"

"You'll be able to pay back Diggory for that last Quidditch match, Harry!" shrieked Katie Bell, another of the Gryffindor Chasers.

"We've got food, Harry, come and have some -"

"I'm not hungry, I had enough at the feast -"

He spotted Taunna on the couch,reading her Defense Against The Dark Arts text book.

Everyone wanted to know how he had done it, how he had tricked Dumbledore's Age Line and managed to get his name into the goblet....

"I didn't," he said, over and over again, "I don't know how it happened."

But no one listened.

Harry woke up the next morning to find Taunna on the couch. She'd gotten up earlier than usual.

"G'morning." He mumbled. She nodded.

They went downstairs, crossed the entrance hall quickly without looking in at the Great Hall, and were soon striding across the lawn toward the lake, where the Durmstrang ship was moored, reflected blackly in the water. It was a chilly morning, and they kept moving, munching their toast, as Harry told Taunna exactly what had happened after he had left the Gryffindor table the night before. To his immense relief,she accepted his story without question.

"Well, of course I knew you hadn't entered yourself," she said when he'd finished telling her about the scene in the chamber off the Hall. "The look on your face when Dumbledore read out your name! But the question is, who did put it in? Because Moody's right, Harry... I don't think any student could have done it. . . they'd never be able to fool the Goblet, or get over Dumbledore's -"

"Have you seen Ron?" Harry interrupted. 

"Erm. . . yes. . . he was at breakfast," she said.

"Does he still think I entered myself?"

"Well. . . no, I don't think so . . . not really,"

"What's that supposed to mean, 'not really'?"

"Oh Harry, isn't it obvious?" Taunna said, incredulously. "He's jealous!"

"Jealous?" Harry said incredulously. "Jealous of what? He wants to make a prat of himself in front of the whole school, does he?"

"Look," Taunna began "it's always you who gets all the attention, you know it is. I know it's not your fault," she added quickly, seeing Harry open his mouth furiously. "I know you don't ask for it.. . but - well - you know, Ron's got all those brothers to compete against at home, and you're his best friend, and you're really famous - he's always shunted to one side whenever people see you, and he puts up with it, and he never mentions it, but I suppose this is just one time too many. . .

"Great," said Harry bitterly. "Really great. Tell him from me I'll swap any time he wants. Tell him from me he's welcome to it.... People gawping at my forehead everywhere I go. . ."

"I'm not telling him anything," Taunna snapped. "because he isn't talking to me either." She explained."Tell him yourself. It's the only way to sort this out."

"I'm not running around after him trying to make him grow up!" Harry said, so loudly

that several owls in a nearby tree took flight in alarm. "Maybe he'll believe I'm not enjoying myself once I've got my neck broken or -"

"That's not funny," Taunna growled. "That's not funny at all." She exhaled. "Harry, I've been thinking - you know what we've got to do, don't you? Straight away, the moment we get back to the castle?"

"Yeah, give Ron a good kick up the -"

"Write to Sirius. You've got to tell him what's happened. He asked you to keep him posted on everything that's going on at Hogwarts. . . . It's almost as if he expected something like this to happen. I brought some parchment and a quill out with me -"

"Come off it," said Harry, looking around to check that they couldn't be overheard, but the grounds were quite deserted. "He came back to the country just because my scar twinged. He'll probably come bursting right into the castle if I tell him someone's entered me in the Triwizard Tournament -"

"Harry, if something did happen to you, how would he feel if he didn't know what was happening?" Taunna said.

"Okay, okay, I'll write to him," said Harry, throwing his last piece of toast into the lake. They both stood and watched it floating there for a moment, before a large tentacle rose out of the water and scooped it beneath the surface. Then they returned to the castle.

"Whose owl am I going to use?" Harry said as they climbed the stairs. "He told me not to use Hedwig again."

"Ask Ron if you can borrow -"

"I'm not asking Ron for anything," Harry said flatly.

"You can borrow mine, then." Taunna supplied.

"When did you get an owl?"

"My aunt."

Taunna gave Harry a piece of parchment, a quill, and a bottle of ink, while Harry sat down against a wall and wrote his letter.

Once classes began, Taunna quickly noted the day's sour turn.

They would have been looking forward to seeing Hagrid under normal circumstances, but Care of Magical Creatures meant seeing the Slytherins too - the first time Harry would come face-to-face with them since becoming champion.

Predictably, Malfoy arrived at Hagrid's cabin with his familiar sneer firmly in place. Taunna

"Ah, look, boys, it's the champion," he said to Crabbe and Goyle the moment he got within earshot of Harry. "Got your autograph books? Better get a signature now, because I doubt he's going to be around much longer. . . . Half the Triwizard champions have died..

. how long d'you reckon you're going to last, Potter? Ten minutes into the first task's my bet."

Crabbe and Goyle guffawed sycophantically, but Malfoy had to stop there, because Hagrid emerged from the back of his cabin balancing a teetering tower of crates, each containing a very large Blast-Ended Skrewt. To the class's horror, Hagrid proceeded to explain that the reason the skrewts had been killing one another was an excess of pent-up energy, and that the solution would be for each student to fix a leash on a skrewt and take it for a short walk. The only good thing about this plan was that it distracted Malfoy completely.

"Take this thing for a walk?" he repeated in disgust, staring into one of the boxes.

"And where exactly are we supposed to fix the leash? Around the sting, the blasting end, or the sucker?"

"Roun' the middle," said Hagrid, demonstrating. "Er - yeh might want ter put on yer dragon-hide gloves, jus' as an extra precaution, like." Taunna's stomach lurched.

 

When Harry and Taunna arrived at Snape's dungeon after lunch, they found the Slytherins waiting outside, each and every one of them wearing a large badge on the front of his or her robes. For one wild moment Harry thought they were S.P.E.W. badges - then he saw that they all bore the same message, in luminous red letters that burnt brightly in the dimly lit underground passage:

SUPPORT CEDRIC DIGGORY-- THE REAL HOGWARTS CHAMPION!

"Like them, Potter?" said Malfoy loudly as Harry approached. "And this isn't all they do - look!"

He pressed his badge into his chest, and the message upon it vanished, to be replaced by another one, which glowed green:

POTTER STINKS!

The Slytherins howled with laughter. Each of them pressed their badges too, until the message POTTER STINKS was shining brightly all around Harry. He felt the heat rise in his face and neck.

"Oh very funny," Hermione said sarcastically to Pansy Parkinson and her gang of Slytherin girls, who were laughing harder than anyone, "really witty." Taunna wanted to give Pansy Parkinson  a good hard thwack, but knew better.

After the fiasco in potions, there was a wand weighing ceremony (which Taunna heard about in vivid detail) including Rita Skeeter's interview.

The article that wretched woman published following that interview nearly made Taunna want to rip her insides out. 


	12. The Dragon

Much of the front page had been given over to a picture of Harry; the article (continuing on pages two, six, and seven) had been all about Harry, the names of the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang champions (misspelled) had been squashed into the last line of the article, and Cedric hadn't been mentioned at all.

 

The article had appeared ten days ago, and Taunna still got a sick, burning feeling in her stomach every time she thought about it.

Rita Skeeter had reported Harry saying an awful lot of things that she couldn't remember ever hearing Harry say in the four years they knew each other.

 

I suppose I get my strength from my parents. I know they'd be very proud of me if they could see me now. . . . Yes, sometimes at night I still cry about them, I'm not ashamed to admit it. . . . I know nothing will hurt me during the tournament because they're watching over me. . .

 

But Rita Skeeter had gone even further than transforming his "er's" into long, sickly sentences: She had interviewed other people about him too.

 

Harry has at last found love at Hogwarts. His close friend, Colin Creevey, says that Harry is rarely seen out of the company of one Tanna Tonks(she misspelt her name every time.), the rumoured daughter of You-Know-Who, a stunningly pretty Gryffindor who, like Harry, is one of the top students in the school.

 

From the moment the article had appeared, Harry had had to endure people --Slytherins, mainly -- quoting it at him as he passed and making sneering comments.

 

"Want a hanky, Potter, in case you start crying in Transfiguration?"

had come in for her fair share of unpleasantness too, but she hadn't yet started yelling at innocent bystanders; Just thinking of devious ways to murder these people.

"Stunningly pretty? Her?" Pansy Parkinson had shrieked the first time she had come face-to-face with Taunna after Rita's article had appeared. "What was she judging against - a chipmunk?"

"I'm going to get you, Parkinson. And I'm going to make it look like a fucking accident." Taunna snapped venomously.

Very soon, it was time to go to Hogsmeade and Taunna didn't argue when Harry said he was wearing his cloak, but Hermione did.   
"People keep looking at me now," said Hermione grumpily as they came out of Honeydukes Sweetshop later, eating large cream-filled chocolates. "They think I'm talking to myself."

"Don't move your lips so much then."

"Come on, please just take off your cloak for a bit, no one's going to bother you here."

"Oh yeah?" said Harry. "Look behind you."

Rita Skeeter and her photographer friend had just emerged from the Three Broomsticks pub. Taunna grit her teeth.  
She wanted to inflict a serious amount of pain that woman.

 

As the task drew closer, Taunna could tell Harry's nerves were going.  
The atmosphere in the school on the day of the First Task was one of great tension and excitement. Lessons were to stop at midday, giving all the students time to get down to the dragons' enclosure - though of course, they didn't yet know what they would find there.  
Time was behaving in a more peculiar fashion than ever, rushing past in great dollops, so that one moment he seemed to be sitting down in his first lesson, History of Magic, and the next, walking into lunch.. . and then (where had the morning gone? the last of the dragon-free hours?), Professor McGonagall was hurrying over to the tent.

Lots of people were watching.  
Taunna slipped out of the stands quietly to the Champion's tents.   
"Taunna!' Harry was slightly(maybe not) surprised  
"Remember everything Hermione said-because I can't. You are brave and strong, I know you can do this."  
"That dragon's going to eat me alive!" Harry protested.  
"You defeated Voldemort not once, not twice but _three times_. And the first time you were barely _a year old_. I think you can handle a dragon." Taunna said. She ducked out of the tent as Ludo Bagman turned to Harry. She ran back into the stands and sat behind Hermione.

As each champion went, Taunna waited patiently.  
"And finally, Harry Potter!' The whistle blew.

As it began, Taunna held her breath.  
Harry raised his wand.

"Accio Firebolt!" he shouted.  
As the Firebolt made it's way to him, Ludo Bagman shouted,  
"I say! That's a Firebolt! Potter summoned his broom!" Taunna smiled."Great Scott, he can fly!" yelled Bagman as the crowd shrieked and gasped. "Are you watching this, Mr Krum?" Taunna held her breath.Harry soared higher in a circle; the Horntail was still following his progress; its head revolving on its long neck - if he kept this up, it would be nicely dizzy - but better not push it too long, or it would be breathing fire again - Harry plummeted just as the Horntail opened its mouth, but this time he was less lucky - he missed the flames, but the tail came whipping up to meet him instead, and as he swerved to the left, one of the long spikes grazed his shoulder, ripping his robes.he had taken his hands off his

Firebolt - he had seized the golden egg - And with a huge spurt of speed, he was off, he was soaring out over the stands, the heavy egg safely under his uninjured arm, and it was as though somebody had just turned the volume back up - for the first time, he became properly aware of the noise of the crowd, which was screaming and applauding as loudly as the Irish supporters at the World Cup - "Look at that!" Bagman was yelling. "Will you look at that! Our youngest champion is quickest to get his egg! Well, this is going to shorten the odds on Mr Potter!"  Taunna stood up and cheered.He got to his feet, wanting to see what was going on outside, but before he'd reached the mouth of the tent, three people had come darting inside - Hermione, followed closely by Ron and Taunna

"Harry, you were brilliant!" Hermione said squeakily. There were fingernail marks on her face where she had been clutching it in fear. "You were amazing! You really were!"

But Harry was looking at Ron, who was very white and staring at Harry as though he were a ghost.

"Harry," he said, very seriously, "whoever put your name in that goblet - I - I reckon they're trying to do you in!"  
Taunna smiled.  
"Boys."


	13. The Kitchens

Harry, Ron, Taunna and Hermione went up to the Owlery that evening to find Pigwidgeon, so that Harry could send Sirius a letter telling him that he had managed to get past his dragon unscathed. On the way, Harry filled Ron in on everything Sirius had told him about Karkaroff. Though shocked at first to hear that Karkaroff had been a Death Eater, by the time they entered the Owlery Ron was saying that they ought to have suspected it all along.  
  
"Fits, doesn't it?" he said. "Remember what Malfoy said on the train, about his dad being friends with Karkaroff? Now we know where they knew each other.They were probably running around in masks together at the World Cup.... I'll tell you one thing, though, Harry, if it was Karkaroff who put your name in the goblet, he's going to be feeling really stupid now, isn't he? Didn't work, did it? You only got a scratch!  
  
Come here - I'll do it -"  
  
Pigwidgeon was so overexcited at the idea of a delivery he was flying around and around Harry's head, hooting incessantly. Ron snatched Pigwidgeon out of the air and held him still while Harry attached the letter to his leg.  
Taunna stared at Harry.   
"I always knew you could do it." She said."There's no way any of the other tasks are going to be that dangerous, how could they be?" Ron went on as he carried Pigwidgeon to the window. "You know what? I reckon you could win this tournament, Harry, I'm serious." Taunna nodded.

"Harry's got a long way to go before he finishes this tournament," she said seriously.

 

"If that was the first task, I hate to think what's coming next."

 

"Right little ray of sunshine, aren't you?" said Ron. "You and Professor Trelawney should get together sometime."

 

He threw Pigwidgeon out of the window. Pigwidgeon plummeted twelve feet before managing to pull himself back up again; the letter attached to his leg was much longer and heavier than usual - Harry hadn't been able to resist giving Sirius a blow-by-blow account of exactly how he had swerved, circled, and dodged the Horntail. They watched Pigwidgeon disappear into the darkness, and then Ron said, "Well, we'd better get downstairs for your surprise party, Harry - Fred and George should have nicked enough food from the kitchens by now."

 

Sure enough, when they entered the Gryffindor common room it exploded with cheers and yells again. There were mountains of cakes and flagons of pumpkin juice and butterbeer on every surface; Lee Jordan had let off some Filibuster's Fireworks, so that the air was thick with stars and sparks; and Dean Thomas, who was very good at drawing, had put up some impressive new banners, most of which depicted Harry zooming around the Horntail's head on his Firebolt, though a couple showed Cedric with his head on fire.

 

Harry helped himself to food; he had almost forgotten what it was like to feel properly hungry, and sat down with Ron and Hermione. He couldn't believe how happy he felt; he had Ron back on his side, he'd gotten through the first task, and he wouldn't have to face the second one for three months.

 

"Blimey, this is heavy," said Lee Jordan, picking up the golden egg, which Harry had left on a table, and weighing it in his hands. "Open it, Harry, go on! Let's just see what's

 

inside it!"

 

"He's supposed to work out the clue on his own," Hermione said swiftly. "It's in the tournament rules. . . ."

"Oh, don't be a spoilsport." Taunna poked.  
"Yeah, go on, Harry, open it!" several people echoed.

Lee passed Harry the egg, and Harry dug his fingernails into the groove that ran all the way around it and prised it open.

It was hollow and completely empty - but the moment Harry opened it, the most horrible noise, a loud and screechy wailing, filled the room. The nearest thing to it Harry had ever heard was the ghost orchestra at Nearly Headless Nick's deathday party, who had all been playing the musical saw.

"Shut it!" Fred bellowed his hands over his ears.

"What was that?" said Seamus Finnigan, staring at the egg as Harry slammed it shut again. "Sounded like a banshee ... Maybe you've got to get past one of those next, Harry!"

"It was someone being tortured!" said Neville, who had gone very white and spilled sausage rolls all over the floor. "You're going to have to fight the Cruciatus Curse!"

"Don't be a prat, Neville, that's illegal," said George. "They wouldn't use the Cruciatus Curse on the champions. I thought it sounded a bit like Percy singing . ..maybe you've got to attack him while he's in the shower. Harry." Taunna laughed.

The start of December brought wind and sleet to Hogwarts. Drafty though the castle always was in winter.

 

One particular day, Hermione wasn't at dinner, nor was she in the library when they went to look for her afterward. The only person in there was Viktor Krum. Ron hovered behind the bookshelves for a while, watching Krum, debating in whispers with Harry and Taunna whether he should ask for an autograph - but then Ron realized that six or seven girls were lurking in the next row of books, debating exactly the same thing, and he lost his enthusiasm for the idea.

 

"Wonder where she's got to?" Ron said as he, Harry and Taunna went back to Gryffindor Tower.

 

"Dunno . . . balderdash."

 

But the Fat Lady had barely begun to swing forward when the sound of racing feet behind them announced Hermione's arrival.

 

"Harry!" she panted, skidding to a halt beside him (the Fat Lady stared down at her, eyebrows raised). "Harry, you've got to come - you've got to come, the most amazing thing's happened- please -"

 

She seized Harry's arm and started to try to drag him back along the corridor.

 

"What's the matter?" Harry said.

 

"I'll show you when we get there - oh come on, quick -"

 

Harry looked around at Ron; he looked back at Harry, intrigued.

 

"Okay," Harry said, starting off back down the corridor with Hermione, Ron hurrying to keep up. Taunna raced after them.

 

"Oh don't mind me!" the Fat Lady called irritably after them. "Don't apologize for bothering me! I'll just hang here, wide open, until you get back, shall I?"

 

"Yeah, thanks!" Ron shouted over his shoulder.

 

"Hermione, where are we going?" Harry asked, after she had led them down through six floors, and started down the marble staircase into the entrance hall.

 

"You'll see, you'll see in a minute!" said Hermione excitedly.

 

She turned left at the bottom of the staircase and hurried toward the door through which Cedric Diggory had gone the night after the Goblet of Fire had regurgitated his and Harry's names. Harry had never been through here before. He and Ron followed Hermione down a flight of stone steps, but instead of ending up in a gloomy underground passage like the one that led to Snape's dungeon, they found themselves in a broad stone corridor, brightly lit with torches, and decorated with cheerful paintings that were mainly of food.

 

"Oh hang on . . ." said Harry slowly, halfway down the corridor. "Wait a minute, Hermione. . . ."

 

"What?" She turned around to look at him, anticipation all over her face.

 

"I know what this is about," said Harry.

 

He nudged Ron and pointed to the painting just behind Hermione. It showed a gigantic silver fruit bowl.

 

"Hermione!" said Ron, cottoning on. "You're trying to rope us into that spew stuff again!"

 

"No, no, I'm not!" she said hastily. "And it's not spew, Ron -"

 

"Changed the name, have you?" said Ron, frowning at her. "What are we now, then, the House-Elf Liberation Front? I'm not barging into that kitchen and trying to make them stop work, I'm not doing it -"

 

"I'm not asking you to!" Hermione said impatiently. "I came down here just now, to talk to them all, and I found - oh come on, Harry, I want to show you!"

 

She seized his arm again, pulled him in front of the picture of the giant fruit bowl, stretched out her forefinger, and tickled the huge green pear. It began to squirm, chuckling, and suddenly turned into a large green door handle. Hermione seized it, pulled the door open, and pushed Harry hard in the back, forcing him inside.

 

He had one brief glimpse of an enormous, high-ceilinged room, large as the Great Hall above it, with mounds of glittering brass pots and pans heaped around the stone walls, and a great brick fireplace at the other end, when something small hurtled toward him from the middle of the room, squealing, "Harry Potter, sir! Harry Potter!"

 

Next second all the wind had been knocked out of him as the squealing elf hit him hard in the midriff, hugging him so tightly he thought his ribs would break.

 

"D-Dobby?" Harry gasped.

 

"It is Dobby, sir, it is!" squealed the voice from somewhere around his navel. "Dobby has been hoping and hoping to see Harry Potter, sir, and Harry Potter has come to see him, sir!"

 

Dobby let go and stepped back a few paces, beaming up at Harry, his enormous, green, tennis-ball-shaped eyes brimming with tears of happiness. He looked almost exactly as Harry remembered him; the pencil-shaped nose, the batlike ears, the long fingers and feet - all except the clothes, which were very different.

 

When Dobby had worked for the Malfoys, he had always worn the same filthy old pillowcase.

 

Now, however, he was wearing the strangest assortment of garments Harry had ever seen; he had done an even worse job of dressing himself than the wizards at the World Cup. He was wearing a tea cozy for a hat, on which he had pinned a number of bright badges; a tie patterned with horseshoes over a bare chest, a pair of what looked like children's soccer shorts, and odd socks. One of these, Harry saw, was the black one Harry had removed from his own foot and tricked Mr. Malfoy into giving Dobby, thereby setting Dobby free. The other was covered in pink and orange stripes.

 

Taunna held back a laugh. Suddenly, a copy of the Daily Prophet caught her eye.


	14. The Announcement

"Potter! Weasley! Will you pay attention?"  
  
Professor McGonagall's irritated voice cracked like a whip through the Transfiguration class on Thursday, and Harry and Ron both jumped and looked up. Taunna even flinched.  
  
It was the end of the lesson; they had finished their work; the guinea fowl they had been changing into guinea pigs had been shut away in a large cage on Professor McGonagall's desk (Neville's still had feathers); they had copied down their homework from the blackboard ("Describe, with examples, the ways in which Transforming Spells must be adapted when performing Cross-Species Switches"}. The bell was due to ring at any moment, and Harry and Ron, who had been having a sword fight with a couple of Fred and George's fake wands at the back of the class, looked up, Ron holding a tin parrot and Harry, a rubber haddock.  
  
"Now that Potter and Weasley have been kind enough to act their age," said Professor McGonagall, with an angry look at the pair of them as the head of Harry's haddock drooped and fell silently to the floor - Ron's parrot's beak had severed it moments before - "I have something to say to you all.  
  
"The Yule Ball is approaching - a traditional part of the Triwizard Tournament and an opportunity for us to socialise with our foreign guests. Now, the ball will be open only to fourth years and above - although you may invite a younger student if you wish -"  
  
Lavender Brown let out a shrill giggle. Parvati Patil nudged her hard in the ribs, her face working furiously as she too fought not to giggle. They both looked around at Harry, Professor McGonagall ignored them, which Harry thought was distinctly unfair, as she had just told off him and Ron. Taunna swallowed.  
"Dress robes will be worn," Professor McGonagall continued, "and the ball will start at eight o'clock on Christmas Day, finishing at midnight in the Great Hall. Now then -"  
  
Professor McGonagall stared deliberately around the class.  
  
"The Yule Ball is, of course, a chance for us all to - er - let our hair down," she said, in a disapproving voice.  
  
Lavender giggled harder than ever, with her hand pressed hard against her mouth to stifle the sound. Harry could see what was funny this time: Professor McGonagall, with her hair in a tight bun, looked as though she had never let her hair down in any sense.  
Taunna smiled.  
"But that does NOT mean," Professor McGonagall went on, "that we will be relaxing the standards of behaviour we expect from Hogwarts students. I will be most seriously displeased if a Gryffindor student embarrasses the school in any way."  
  
The bell rang, and there was the usual scuffle of activity as everyone packed their bags and swung them onto their shoulders.  
 Harry had been called to speak to McGonagall and Taunna left the room.  
Who in the Wizarding World would take Voldemort's daughter to the Yule Ball?  
Harry.  
It took her a moment to decide if this was a good idea, as she was absolutely rubbish at romance and he might think he was her last resort.  
 As she entered the Great Hall, six burly boys from Durmstrang approached her.  
What in the name of Merlin?  
The leader, the fellow she recognised from the selection of the champions(He'd stared at her on the way to the castle) was at least a foot taller than her and built like he could snap her like a twig.  
Where are your friends when you need them?  
Yes, she was scared.  
And very confused when he kissed her hand.  
"Ms Tonks, Ve haven't been formally introduced. I am Nikolai Petrov. "  
"Hi."She mumbled.  
"I ask that you vould do me the honour of accompanying me to the Yule Ball?" Wait a minute?  
"Yes!Of course" Taunna stumbled over her words. He smiled, looking very relieved.  
"Thank you!" He kissed her hand again and rushed back to the Slytherin table with his friends.  
What just happened?  
  
  
The Hogwarts staff, demonstrating a continued desire to impress the visitors from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, seemed determined to show the castle at its best this Christmas. When the decorations went up.Taunna noticed that they were the most stunning he had yet seen inside the school. Everlasting icicles had been attached to the bannisters of the marble staircase; the usual twelve Christmas trees in the Great Hall were bedecked with everything from luminous holly berries to real, hooting, golden owls, and the suits of armour had all been bewitched to sing carols whenever anyone passed them.  
  
It was quite something to hear "0 Come, All Ye Faithful" sung by an empty helmet that only knew half the words. Several times, Filch the caretaker had to extract Peeves from inside the armour, where he had taken to hiding, filling in the gaps in the songs with lyrics of his own invention, all of which were very rude.   
  
Despite the very heavy load of homework that the fourth years had been given for the holidays. Taunna as in no mood to work when the term ended and spent the week leading up to Christmas enjoying herself. Snow was falling thickly upon the castle and its grounds now. The pale blue Beauxbatons carriage looked like a large, chilly, frosted pumpkin next to the iced gingerbread house that was Hagrid's cabin, while the Durmstrang ship's portholes were glazed with ice, the rigging white with frost. The house-elves down in the kitchen were outdoing themselves with a series of rich, warming stews and savoury puddings, and only Fleur Delacour seemed to be able to find anything to complain about.

 

"It is too 'eavy, all zis 'Ogwarts food," they heard her saying grumpily as they left the Great Hall behind her one evening (Ron skulking behind Harry, keen not to be spotted by Fleur). "I will not fit into my dress robes!"

 

"Oooh there's a tragedy," Hermione snapped as Fleur went out into the entrance hall. "She really thinks a lot of herself, that one, doesn't she?"

 

"Hermione - who are you going to the ball with?" said Ron.

 

He kept springing this question on her, hoping to startle her into a response by asking it when she least expected it. However, Hermione merely frowned and said, "I'm not telling you, you'll just make fun of me."

Taunna smiled.

 

"What about you, Taunna." Ron pressed."You're a girl."

"Who's also going with someone," Taunna replied.

"Is it,Him?" Hermione asked. Taunna knew who she was referring to.

"Yes. He asked a few weeks ago." Taunna replied. Hermione smiled.


	15. The Yule Ball

The entrance hall was packed with students,all milling around waiting for eight o'clock, when the doors to the Great Hall would be thrown open. Those people who were meeting partners from different Houses were edging through the crowd trying to find one another.  
The oak front doors opened, and everyone turned to look as the Durmstrang students entered with Professor Karkaroff. Krum was at the front of the party, accompanied by a pretty girl in blue robes . Over their heads he saw that an area of lawn right in front of the castle had been transformed into a sort of grotto full of fairy lights - meaning hundreds of actual living fairies were sitting in the rosebushes that had been conjured there, and fluttering over the statues of what seemed to be Father Christmas and his reindeer.

Nikolai plowed through a crowd of people and smiled at Taunna.

"You look stunning."   
"Thank you."She replied, curtseying. Nikolai held out his armand Taunna took it.  
Dumbledore smiled happily as the champions approached the top table, but Karkaroff wore an expression remarkably like Ron's as he watched Krum and Hermione draw nearer. Ludo Bagman, tonight in robes of bright purple with large yellow stars, was clapping as enthusiastically as any of the students; and Madame Maxime, who had changed her usual uniform of black satin for a flowing gown of lavender silk, was applauding them politely. Taunna followed Nikolai to a table full of his friends; Which she really didn't appreciate, because they all gawked at her.  
When all the food had been consumed, Dumbledore stood up and asked the students to do the same. Then, with a wave of his wand, all the tables zoomed back along the walls leaving the floor clear, and then he conjured a raised platform into existence along the right wall. A set of drums, several guitars, a lute, a cello, and some bagpipes were set upon it.  
The "Weird Sisters now trooped up onto the stage to wildly enthusiastic applause; they were all extremely hairy and dressed in black robes that had been artfully ripped and torn. They picked up their instruments, and Harry, who had been so interested in watching them that he had almost forgotten what was coming, suddenly realized that the lanterns on all the other tables had gone out, and that the other champions and their partners were standing up.  
As the champions began to dance, many teacher began to join and soon the entire great hall was filled with people dancing.  
Nikolai, as it turned out, had two left feet and kept stepping on her toes. Very hard. She remained silent and smiled  indignantly.  
As the song changed, however,  he became very loud.  
But at least he wasn't stepping on her toes.

It wasn't too bad, but she wouldn't go with him again.


	16. The Second Task

Everybody got up late on Boxing Day. The Gryffindor common room was much quieter than it had been lately, many yawns punctuating the lazy conversations. Hermione's hair was bushy again; she confessed to Harry and Taunna that she had used liberal amounts of Sleekeazy's Hair Potion on it for the ball, "but it's way too much bother to do every day," she said matter-of-factly, scratching a purring Crookshanks behind the ears.

 

Ron and Hermione seemed to have reached an unspoken agreement not to discuss their argument. They were being quite friendly to each other, though oddly formal.

Taunna almost had to beat Nikolai away with a stick the next few days, it seemed he thought he was her boyfriend.   
  
However, the day of the next task distracted her from the nuisance. Harry was actually late, and Taunna was worried sick.  
  
However, she saw him running towards the lake, she breathed.  
"Well, all our champions are ready for the second task, which will start on my whistle.  
  
They have precisely an hour to recover what has been taken from them. On the count of three, then. One . . . two . . . three!"  
  
The whistle echoed shrilly in the cold, still air; the stands erupted with cheers and applause; She noted the look of nervousness on his face.  
 It was a very long time and taunna felt a pit form in her stomach.  
What if he didn't make it?  
What if he lost?  
What if he died?  
 _No_ , she told herself. _Definitely don't think that_.  
  
Very soon, Cedric pierced through the water, Cho in his arms.  
"Come on, Harry." Taunna whispered.  
 Many minutes later, Krum tore through the water with Hermione.   
"Harry.."   
It was near the end of the time limit.  
Suddenly, Harry burst through the water, with Ron and a girl Taunna didn't know. She must've been Fleur's hostage.  
Taunna shook her head. The judges left to deliberate and Taunna looked at Harry.  
"I'm no doctor, but I officially diagnose you with Chronic Hero Syndrome."  
  
  
"Ladies and gentlemen, we have reached our decision. Merchieftainess Murcus has told us exactly what happened at the bottom of the lake, and we have therefore decided to award marks out of fifty for each of the champions, as follows. . . .  
  
"Fleur Delacour, though she demonstrated excellent use of the Bubble-Head Charm, was attacked by grindylows as she approached her goal, and failed to retrieve her hostage.  
  
We award her twenty-five points."  
  
Applause from the stands.  
  
"I deserved zero," said Fleur throatily, shaking her magnificent head.  
  
"Cedric Diggory, who also used the Bubble-Head Charm, was first to return with his hostage, though he returned one minute outside the time limit of an hour." Enormous cheers from the Hufflepuffs in the crowd.  
  
"Viktor Krum used an incomplete form of Transfiguration, which was nevertheless effective, and was second to return with his hostage. We award him forty points."  
  
Karkaroff clapped particularly hard, looking very superior.  
  
"Harry Potter used gillyweed to great effect," Bagman continued. "He returned last, and well outside the time limit of an hour. However, the Merchieftainess informs us that Mr.Potter was first to reach the hostages, and that the delay in his return was due to his determination to return all hostages to safety, not merely his own."  
  
Ron and Hermione both gave Harry half-exasperated, half-commiserating looks. Taunna swallowed.  
  
"Most of the judges," and here, Bagman gave Karkaroff a very nasty look, "feel that this shows moral fiber and merits full marks. However . . . Mr. Potter's score is forty-five points." Taunna broke into applause, along with every Gryffindor and many others.  
"The third and final task will take place at dusk on the twenty-fourth of June,"  
  
continued Bagman. "The champions will be notified of what is coming precisely one month beforehand. Thank you all for your support of the champions." Taunna followed everyone up to the castle and smiled brightly.


	17. Breaking Down These Walls

One particular night, Harry woke up to his scar hurting.  
He decided to try to return to sleep, but when it wouldn't work, he decided to go sit by the fire.  
He found Taunna on the couch, revising her Charms essay.  
"Hello, Harry. What's wrong?" She said, eyes still on her paper.  
"My scar hurt." He mumbled. Her shot up to his face.  
"Do you think it has anything to do with my...Voldemort?" She asked. Harry sat down beside her.  
"Well, the last time I spoke to Dumbledore, he said he thinks Voldemort's getting stronger. " Harry explained.  
"Wow." Taunna rubbed her wrist.  
That would explain the darkening.   
"And if he comes back, I never really thought about this before, because I didn't want to, but if he does come back, I'll understand if you go to his side. You do what you have to do, Taunna. I understand he's your father." Harry said.  
"You listen to me. I would _never_ betray you like that. Dumbledore once said 'It matters not what a person is born, but what they grow into.' Yes, I'm Voldemort's daughter, but I'm not inherently evil."  Taunna whispered. She locked eyes with him and exhaled.  
She swallowed hard and leant over.  
She could feel his breathing on her lips. She stopped where she was, not moving forward or back, just still.  
Harry closed the distance and lightly touched his lips to hers.  For a moment, Taunna was weightless. The entire world slowed and everything she'd ever known just turned over. Her Heart threatened to beat out of her chest. She swore her body was changing right there; cells tuning up like musicians in an orchestra, her heart beat the chorus. It was an opera she was composing and she desperately wanted to listen.  
 As they broke apart, Taunna swallowed.She smiled.


	18. The Final Task

Ladies and gentlemen, the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament is about to begin! Let me remind you how the points currently stand! Tied in first place, with eighty-five points each - Mr. Cedric Diggory and Mr. Harry Potter, both of Hogwarts School!" The cheers and applause sent birds from the Forbidden Forest fluttering into the darkening sky. "In second place, with eighty points - Mr. Viktor Krum, of Durmstrang Institute!" More applause. "And in third place - Miss Fleur Delacour, of Beauxbatons Academy!"

 

Taunna waved to Harry. She'd personally wished him luck before.

 

"So ... on my whistle, Harry and Cedric!" said Bagman. "Three - two - one -"

 

He gave a short blast on his whistle, and Harry and Cedric hurried forward into the maze.  
Taunna swallowed.  
Bagman's whistle blew in the distance for the third time. All of the champions were now inside.

"Go on,Harry!"She cried. Her arm began to burn. "No." She whispered.

As the task dragged on, her arm began to burn even more. As the sun began to set, Taunna knew something was wrong.  
Bagman and Dumbledore had began calling for Ministry wizards to come search the maze if none of them returned within the hour.  
Suddenly, Taunna felt it.  
the pull.  
Someone touched the Dark Mark.  
Which could only mean...  
Harry was suddenly there,slammed flat into the ground; his face was pressed into grass.Taunna exhaled.

Dumbledore bent down, and with extraordinary strength for a man so old and thin, raised Harry from the ground and set -him on his feet. Harry swayed. 

His injured leg would no longer support his weight. The crowd around them jostled, fighting to get closer, pressing darkly in on him - "What's happened?" "What's wrong with him?" "Diggorys dead!"

 

"He'll need to go to the hospital wing!" Fudge was saying loudly. "He's ill, he's injured - Dumbledore, Diggory's parents, they're here, they're in the stands. ..."

 

"I'll take Harry, Dumbledore, I'll take him -"

 

"No, I would prefer-"

 

"Dumbledore, Amos Diggorys running . . . he's coming over. . . . Don't you think you should tell him - before he sees - ?"

 

"Harry, stay here -"

Girls were screaming, sobbing hysterically....  
Moody suddenly grabbed Harry and looked at Taunna.  
"You come too." Taunna sped off her seat and followed.  
Across the lawn, past the lake and the Durmstrang ship.

"What happened. Harry?" Moody asked. Taunna helped him along, but looked at Harry.

"Cup was a Portkey," said Harry as they crossed the entrance hall. "Took me and Cedric to a graveyard . . . and Voldemort was there . . . Lord Voldemort..." Taunna inhaled sharply.

Clunk. Clunk. Clunk. Up the marble stairs . . .

"The Dark Lord was there? What happened then?"

"Killed Cedric . . . they killed Cedric. . . ."

"And then?"

Clunk. Clunk. Clunk. Along the corridor . . .

"Made a potion . . . got his body back. . . ."

"The Dark Lord got his body back? He's returned?" Taunna whispered something only Harry heard.

"I knew it."

"And the Death Eaters came . . . and then we dueled. ..."

"You dueled with the Dark Lord?"

"Got away . . . my wand . . . did something funny. ... I saw my mum and dad . . . they came out of his wand. ..."

"In here. Harry ... in here, and sit down. . . . You'll be all right now . . . drink this. ..."

Harry heard a key scrape in a lock and felt a cup being pushed into his hands. Taunna sat beside him and exhaled.

"Drink it... you'll feel better . . . come on, now. Harry, I need to know exactly what happened. ..."

Moody helped tip the stuff down Harrys throat; he coughed. Taunna blinked, concerned.

Voldemort's back, Harry? You're sure he's back? How did he do it?"

"He took stuff from his father's grave, and from Wormtail, and me," said Harry. Taunna  looked somewhere between shellshocked and angry.

"What did the Dark Lord take from you?" said Moody.

"Blood," said Harry, raising his arm. His sleeve was ripped where Wormtail's dagger had torn it.

Moody let out his breath in a long, low hiss.

"And the Death Eaters? They returned?"

"Yes," said Harry. "Loads of them . . ."

"How did he treat them?" Moody asked quietly. "Did he forgive them?"

"There's a Death Eater at Hogwarts! There's a Death Eater here - they put my name in the Goblet of Fire, they made sure I got through to the end -"

Harry tried to get up, but Moody pushed him back down.

"I know who the Death Eater is," he said quietly.

"Karkaroff?" said Harry wildly. "Where is he? Have you got him? Is he locked up?"

"Karkaroff?" said Moody with an odd laugh. "Karkaroff fled tonight, when he felt the Dark Mark burn upon his arm. You felt it too,didn't you?" He looked at Taunna."Didn't you?" He yelled.Taunna ripped her sleeve up to show him.  
"Of course I did." She snapped.

"He betrayed too many faithful supporters of the Dark Lord to wish to meet them . . . but I doubt he will get far. The Dark Lord has ways of tracking his enemies."

"Karkaroff's gone? He ran away? But then - he didn't put my name in the goblet?"

"No," said Moody slowly. "No, he didn't." Harry suddenly looked at Taunna. She wouldn't have... "It was I who did that."

 Taunna grabbed Harry's arm.

"No, you didn't," he said. "You didn't do that. . . you can't have done..."

"I assure you I did," said Moody, and his magical eye swung around and fixed upon the door, and Harry knew he was making sure that there was no one outside it. At the same time, Moody drew out his wand and pointed it at Harry.

"He forgave them, then?" he said. "The Death Eaters who went free? The ones who escaped Azkaban?"

"What?" said Harry.

"I asked you," said Moody quietly, "whether he forgave the scum who never even went to look for him. Those treacherous cowards who wouldn't even brave Azkaban for him. The faithless, worthless bits of filth who were brave enough to cavort in masks at the Quidditch World Cup, but fled at the sight of the Dark Mark when I fired it into the sky."

"You fired . . . What are you talking about. . . ?"

"I told you. Harry ... I told you. If there's one thing I hate more than any other, it's a Death Eater who walked free. They turned their backs on my master when he needed them most. I expected him to punish them. I expected him to torture them. Tell me he hurt them, Harry. . . ." Moody's face was suddenly lit with an insane smile. "Tell me he told them that I, I alone remained faithful... prepared to risk everything to deliver to him the one thing he wanted above all... you"

"You didn't... it - it can't be you. ..."

"Who put your name in the Goblet of Fire, under the name of a different school? I did.

Who frightened off every person I thought might try to hurt you or prevent you from winning the tournament? I did. Who nudged Hagrid into showing you the dragons? I did.

Who helped you see the only way you could beat the dragon? I did"

"It hasn't been easy, Harry, guiding you through these tasks without arousing suspicion.

I have had to use every ounce of cunning I possess, so that my hand would not be detectable in your success. Dumbledore would have been very suspicious if you had managed everything too easily. As long as you got into that maze, preferably with a decent head start - then, I knew, I would have a chance of getting rid of the other champions and leaving your way clear. But I also had to contend with your stupidity.

The second task . . . that was when I was most afraid we would fail. I was keeping watch on you, Potter. I knew you hadn't worked out the egg's clue, so I had to give you another hint -"

"You didn't," Harry said hoarsely. "Cedric gave me the clue -"

"Who told Cedric to open it underwater? I did. I trusted that he would pass the information on to you. Decent people are so easy to manipulate, Potter. I was sure Cedric would want to repay you for telling him about the dragons, and so he did. But even then, Potter, even then you seemed likely to fail. I was watching all the time ... all those hours in the library. Didn't you realize that the book you needed was in your dormitory all along? I planted it there early on, I gave it to the Longbottom boy, don't you remember? Magical Water Plants of the Mediterranean. It would have told you all you needed to know about gillyweed. I expected you to ask everyone and anyone you could for help. Longbottom would have told you in an instant. But you did not. . . you did not...You have a streak of pride and independence that might have ruined all.

"So what could I do? Feed you information from another innocent source. You told me at

the Yule Ball a house-elf called Dobby had given you a Christmas present. I called the elf to the staffroom to collect some robes for cleaning. I staged a loud conversation with Professor McGonagall about the hostages who had been taken, and whether Potter would think to use gillyweed. And your little elf friend ran straight to Snape's office and then hurried to find you..."

Taunna tightened her grip on Harry's arm.

Moodys wand was still pointing directly at Harry's heart. Over his shoulder, foggy shapes were moving in the Foe-Glass on the wall.

"You were so long in that lake, Potter, I thought you had drowned. But luckily, Dumbledore took your idiocy for nobility, and marked you high for it. I breathed again.

"You had an easier time of it than you should have in that maze tonight, of course," said Moody. "I was patrolling around it, able to see through the outer hedges, able to curse many obstacles out of your way. I Stunned Fleur Delacour as she passed. I put the Imperius Curse on Krum, so that he would finish Diggory and leave your path to the cup clear."

She knew he was a nutter.

Taunna reached her wand inconspicuously

"The Dark Lord didn't manage to kill you. Potter, and he so wanted to," whispered Moody.

"Imagine how he will reward me when he finds I have done it for him. I gave you to him -the thing he needed above all to regenerate - and then I killed you for him. I will be honored beyond all other Death Eaters. I will be his dearest, his closest supporter...closer than a son. ..."

"You're mad," Harry said - he couldn't stop himself- "you're mad!"

"Mad, am I?" said Moody, his voice rising uncontrollably. "We'll see! We'll see who's mad, now that the Dark Lord has returned, with me at his side! He is back, Harry Potter, you did not conquer him - and now - I conquer you!"

Moody raised his wand, he opened his mouth;Taunna whipped her wand out and yelled

"Crucio!"

Had she just used an illegal curse?

"Stupefy!"There was a blinding flash of red light, and with a great splintering and crashing, the door of Moody's office was blasted apart -Moody was thrown backward onto the office floor. Taunna looked at Harry, who was still staring at the place where Moody's face had been, saw Albus Dumbledore, Professor Snape, and Professor McGonagall looking back at him out of the Foe-Glass. He looked around and saw the three of them standing in the doorway, Dumbledore in front, his wand outstretched.


	19. The Return

At that moment, Taunna  fully understood for the first time why people said Dumbledore was the only wizard Voldemort had ever feared. The look upon Dumbledore's face as he stared down at the unconscious form of Mad-Eye Moody was more terrible than had anticipated. 

There was no benign smile upon Dumbledore's face, no twinkle in the eyes behind the spectacles. There was cold fury in every line of the ancient face; a sense of power radiated from Dumbledore as though he were giving off burning heat.

 

He stepped into the office, placed a foot underneath Moody's unconscious body, and kicked him over onto his back, so that his face was visible. 

 

"Severus, please fetch me the strongest Truth Potion you possess, and then go down to the kitchens and bring up the house-elf called Winky. Minerva, kindly go down to Hagrid's house, where you will find a large black dog sitting in the pumpkin patch. Take the dog up to my office, tell him I will be with him shortly, then come back here."

 

If either Snape or McGonagall found these instructions peculiar, they hid their confusion. Both turned at once and left the office. Dumbledore walked over to the trunk with seven locks, fitted the first key in the lock, and opened it. It contained a mass of spell-books. Dumbledore closed the trunk, placed a second key in the second lock, and opened the trunk again. The spellbooks had vanished; this time it contained an assortment of broken Sneako-scopes, some parchment and quills, and what looked like a silvery Invisibility Cloak. They watched, astounded, as Dumbledore placed the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth keys in their respective locks, reopening the trunk each time, and revealing different contents each time. Then he placed the seventh key in the lock, threw open the lid.  
"Stunned - controlled by the Imperius Curse - very weak," he said. "Of course, they would have needed to keep him alive. Harry, throw down the imposter's cloak - he's freezing. Madam Pomfrey will need to see him, but he seems in no immediate danger."

Harry did as he was told; Dumbledore covered Moody in the cloak, tucked it around him, and clambered out of the trunk again. Then he picked up the hip flask that stood upon the desk, unscrewed it, and turned it over. A thick glutinous liquid splattered onto the office floor.

"Polyjuice Potion, Harry," said Dumbledore. "You see the simplicity of it, and the brilliance. For Moody never does drink except from his hip flask, he's well known for it. The imposter needed, of course, to keep the real Moody close by, so that he could continue making the potion. You see his hair ..." Dumbledore looked down on the Moody in the trunk. "The imposter has been cutting it off all year, see where it is uneven?

But I think, in the excitement of tonight, our fake Moody might have forgotten to take it as frequently as he should have done ... on the hour . . . every hour. . . . We shall see."

Dumbledore pulled out the chair at the desk and sat down upon it, his eyes fixed upon the unconscious Moody on the floor. Harry stared at him too. Minutes passed in silence... .  
Then,before their eyes, the face of the man on the floor began to change. The scars were disappearing, the skin was becoming smooth; the mangled nose became whole and started to shrink. The long mane of grizzled gray hair was withdrawing into the scalp and turning the color of straw. Suddenly, with a loud clunk, the wooden leg fell away as a normal leg regrew in its place; next moment, the magical eyeball had popped out of the man's face as a real eye replaced it; it rolled away across the floor and continued to swivel in every direction.

This was man was Barty Crouch Jr. Taunna knew because Andromeda had kept the newspapers of her mother's imprisonment and he'd been caught with her mother.There were hurried footsteps outside in the corridor. Snape had returned with Winky at his heels. Professor McGonagall was right behind them. Harry grabbed Taunna's hand.

"Crouch!" Snape said, stopping dead in the doorway. "Barty Crouch!"

"Good heavens," said Professor McGonagall, stopping dead and staring down at the man on the floor.

Filthy, dishevelled, Winky peered around Snape's legs. Her mouth opened wide and she let out a piercing shriek.

"Master Barty, Master Barty, what is you doing here?"

She flung herself forward onto the young man's chest.

"You is killed him! You is killed him! You is killed Master's son!"

"He is simply Stunned, Winky," said Dumbledore. "Step aside, please. Severus, you have the potion?"

Snape handed Dumbledore a small glass bottle of completely clear liquid: the Veritaserum with which he had threatened Harry in class. Dumbledore got up, bent over the man on the floor, and pulled him into a sitting position against the wall beneath the Foe-Glass, in which the reflections of Dumbledore, Snape, and McGonagall were still glaring down upon them all. Winky remained on her knees, trembling, her hands over her face. Dumbledore forced the man's mouth open and poured three drops inside it. Then he pointed his wand at the man's chest and said, "Ennervate."

Crouch's son opened his eyes. His face was slack, his gaze unfocused. Dumbledore knelt before him so that their faces were level.

"Can you hear me?" Dumbledore asked quietly.

The man's eyelids flickered.

"Yes," he muttered.

"I would like you to tell us," said Dumbledore softly, "how you came to be here. How did you escape from Azkaban?"

Crouch took a deep, shuddering breath, then began to speak in a flat, expressionless voice.

"My mother saved me. She knew she was dying. She persuaded my father to rescue me as a last favor to her. He loved her as he had never loved me. He agreed. They came to visit me. They gave me a draft of Polyjuice Potion containing one of my mother's hairs.

She took a draft of Polyjuice Potion containing one of my hairs. We took on each other's appearance."Winky was shaking her head, trembling.

"Say no more. Master Barty, say no more, you is getting your father into trouble!"

But Crouch took another deep breath and continued in the same flat voice.

"The dementors are blind. They sensed one healthy, one dying person entering Azkaban.

They sensed one healthy, one dying person leaving it. My father smuggled me out, disguised as my mother, in case any prisoners were watching through their doors.

"My mother died a short while afterward in Azkaban. She was careful to drink Polyjuice Potion until the end. She was buried under my name and bearing my appearance. Everyone believed her to be me."

The man's eyelids flickered.

"And what did your father do with you, when he had got you home?" said Dumbledore quietly.

"Staged my mother's death. A quiet, private funeral. That grave is empty. The house-elf nursed me back to health. Then I had to be concealed. I had to be controlled.

My father had to use a number of spells to subdue me. When I had recovered my strength, I thought only of finding my master . . . of returning to his service."

"How did your father subdue you?" said Dumbledore.

"The Imperius Curse," Moody said. "I was under my father's control. I was forced to wear an Invisibility Cloak day and night. I was always with the house-elf. She was my keeper and caretaker. She pitied me. She persuaded my father to give me occasional treats.

Rewards for my good behaviour."

"Master Barty, Master Barty," sobbed Winky through her hands. "You isn't ought to tell them, we is getting in trouble. ..."

"Did anybody ever discover that you were still alive?" said Dumbledore softly. "Did anyone know except your father and the house-elf?"

"Yes," said Crouch, his eyelids flickering again. "A witch in my father's office.

Bertha Jorkins. She came to the house with papers for my father's signature. He was not at home. Winky showed her inside and returned to the kitchen, to me. But Bertha Jorkins heard Winky talking to me. She came to investigate. She heard enough to guess who was hiding under the Invisibility Cloak. My father arrived home. She confronted him. He

put a very powerful Memory Charm on her to make her forget what she'd found out. Too powerful. He said it damaged her memory permanently."

"Why is she coming to nose into my masters private business?" sobbed Winky. "Why isn't she leaving us be?"

"Tell me about the Quidditch World Cup," said Dumbledore.

"Winky talked my father into it," said Crouch, still in the same monotonous voice. "She spent months persuading him. I had not left the house for years. I had loved Quidditch.

Let him go, she said. He will be in his Invisibility Cloak. He can watch. Let him smell fresh air for once. She said my mother would have wanted it. She told my father that my mother had died to give me freedom. She had not saved me for a life of imprisonment. He agreed in the end.

"It was carefully planned. My father led me and Winky up to the Top Box early in the day. Winky was to say that she was saving a seat for my father. I was to sit there, invisible. When everyone had left the box, we would emerge. Winky would appear to be alone. Nobody would ever know.

"But Winky didn't know that I was growing stronger. I was starting to fight my father's Imperius Curse. There were times when I was almost myself again. There were brief periods when I seemed outside his control. It happened, there, in the Top Box. It was like waking from a deep sleep. I found myself out in public, in the middle of the match, and I saw, in front of me, a wand sticking out of a boys pocket. I had not been allowed a wand since before Azkaban. I stole it. Winky didn't know. Winky is frightened of heights. She had her face hidden."

"Master Barty, you bad boy!" whispered Winky, tears trickling between her fingers.

"So you took the wand," said Dumbledore, "and what did you do with it?"

"We went back to the tent," said Crouch. "Then we heard them. We heard the Death Eaters. The ones who had never been to Azkaban. The ones who had never suffered for my master. They had turned their backs on him. They were not enslaved, as I was. They were free to seek him, but they did not. They were merely making sport of Muggles. The sound of their voices awoke me. My mind was clearer than it had been in years. I was angry. I had the wand.

I wanted to attack them for their disloyalty to my master. My father had left the tent; he had gone to free the Muggles. Winky was afraid to see me so angry. She used her own brand of magic to bind me to her. She pulled me from the tent, pulled me into the forest, away from the Death Eaters. I tried to hold her back. I wanted to return to the campsite. I wanted to show those Death Eaters what loyalty to the Dark Lord meant, and to punish them for their lack of it. I used the stolen wand to cast the Dark Mark into the sky.

"Ministry wizards arrived. They shot Stunning Spells everywhere. One of the spells came through the trees where Winky and I stood. The bond connecting us was broken. We were both Stunned.

"When Winky was discovered, my father knew I must be nearby. He searched the bushes where she had been found and felt me lying there. He waited until the other Ministry members had left the forest. He put me back under the Imperius Curse and took me home.

He dismissed Winky. She had failed him. She had let me acquire a wand. She had almost let me escape."

Winky let out a wail of despair.

"Now it was just Father and I, alone in the house. And then . . . and then . . ."

Crouch's head rolled on his neck, and an insane grin spread across his face. "My master came for me.

"He arrived at our house late one night in the arms of his servant Wormtail. My master had found out that I was still alive. He had captured Bertha Jorkins in Albania. He had tortured her. She told him a great deal. She told him about the Triwizard Tournament.

She told him the old Auror, Moody, was going to teach at Hogwarts. He tortured her until he broke through the Memory Charm my father had placed upon her. She told him I had escaped from Azkaban. She told him my father kept me imprisoned to prevent me from seeking my master. And so my master knew that I was still his faithful servant - perhaps the most faithful of all. My master conceived a plan, based upon the information Bertha had given him. He needed me. He arrived at our house near midnight. My father answered the door."

The smile spread wider over Crouch's face, as though recalling the sweetest memory of his life. Winky's petrified brown eyes were visible through her fingers. She seemed too

appalled to speak.

"It was very quick. My father was placed under the Imperius Curse by my master. Now my father was the one imprisoned, controlled. My master forced him to go about his business as usual, to act as though nothing was wrong. And I was released. I awoke. I was myself again, alive as I hadn't been in years.

"And what did Lord Voldemort ask you to do?" said Dumbledore.

"He asked me whether I was ready to risk everything for him. I was ready. It was my dream, my greatest ambition, to serve him, to prove myself to him. He told me he needed to place a faithful servant at Hogwarts. A servant who would guide Harry Potter through the Triwizard Tournament without appearing to do so. A servant who would watch over Harry Potter and his own daughter, of course. He stressed that I keep a close eye on both of them. Potter was most important, her. She was next on the list.. Ensure Harry reached the Triwizard Cup. Turn the cup into a Portkey, which would take the first person to touch it to my master. But first -"

"You needed Alastor Moody," said Dumbledore. His blue eyes were blazing, though his voice remained calm.

"Wormtail and I did it. We had prepared the Polyjuice Potion beforehand. We journeyed to his house. Moody put up a struggle. There was a commotion. We managed to subdue him just in time. Forced him into a compartment of his own magical trunk. Took some of his hair and added it to the potion. I drank it; I became Moody's double. I took his leg and his eye. I was ready to face Arthur Weasley when he arrived to sort out the Muggles who had heard a disturbance. I made the dustbins move around the yard. I told Arthur Weasley I had heard intruders in my yard, who had set off the dustbins. Then I packed up Moody's clothes and Dark detectors, put them in the trunk with Moody, and set off for Hogwarts. I kept him alive, under the Imperius Curse. I wanted to be able to question him. To find out about his past, learn his habits, so that I could fool even Dumbledore.

I also needed his hair to make the Polyjuice Potion. The other ingredients were easy. I stole boom-slang skin from the dungeons. When the Potions master found me in his office, I said I was under orders to search it."

"And what became of Wormtail after you attacked Moody?" said Dumbledore.

"Wormtail returned to care for my master, in my father's house, and to keep watch over my father."

"But your father escaped," said Dumbledore.

"Yes. After a while he began to fight the Imperius Curse just as I had done. There were periods when he knew what was happening. My master decided it was no longer safe for my father to leave the house. He forced him to send letters to the Ministry instead. He made him write and say he was ill. But Wormtail neglected his duty. He was not watchful enough. My father escaped. My master guessed that he was heading for Hogwarts. My father was going to tell Dumbledore everything, to confess. He was going to admit that he had smuggled me from Azkaban.

"My master sent me word of my father's escape. He told me to stop him at all costs. So I waited and watched. I used the map I had taken from Harry Potter. The map that had almost ruined everything."

"Map?" said Dumbledore quickly. "What map is this?"

"Potter's map of Hogwarts. Potter saw me on it. Potter saw me stealing more ingredients for the Polyjuice Potion from Snape's office one night. He thought I was my father. We have the same first name. I took the map from Potter that night. I told him my father hated Dark wizards. Potter believed my father was after Snape.

"For a week I waited for my father to arrive at Hogwarts. At last, one evening, the map showed my father entering the grounds. I pulled on my Invisibility Cloak and went down to meet him. He was walking around the edge of the forest. Then Potter came, and Krum.

I waited. I could not hurt Potter; my master needed him. Potter ran to get Dumbledore.

I Stunned Krum. I killed my father."

"Noooo!" wailed Winky. "Master Barty, Master Barty, what is you saying?"

"You killed your father," Dumbledore said, in the same soft voice. "What did you do with the body?"

"Carried it into the forest. Covered it with the Invisibility Cloak. I had the map with me. I watched Potter run into the castle. He met Snape. Dumbledore joined them. I watched Potter bringing Dumbledore out of the castle. I walked back out of the forest, doubled around behind them, went to meet them. I told Dumbledore Snape had told me where to come.

"Dumbledore told me to go and look for my father. I went back to my father's body.

Watched the map. When everyone was gone, I Transfigured my father's body. He became a

bone ... I buried it while wearing the Invisibility Cloak, in the freshly dug earth in front of Hagrid's cabin."

There was complete silence now, except for Winky's continued sobs. Then Dumbledore said, "And tonight. . ."

"I offered to carry the Triwizard Cup into the maze before dinner," whispered Barty Crouch. "Turned it into a Portkey. My master's plan worked. He is returned to power and I will be honored by him beyond the dreams of wizards."

The insane smile lit his features once more, and his head drooped onto his shoulder as Winky wailed and sobbed at his side.

Taunna moved away slightly. Crouch looked up at Taunna. She inhaled.  
"He'll find you. He'll come. He told me so. You're the  _heir._ "


	20. The Heir

Taunna had a _very_ long talk with Dumbledore after his chat with Harry, concerning what Crouch had said about her father and her use of the Cruciatus Curse.  
"That was the first and last time I'll use that curse." Taunna assured Professor Dumbledore.  
"I hope so. Your mother was rather fond of it." Dumbledore said. Taunna wasn't sure how to respond, so she simply nodded.  
  
Over the last remaining month, Taunna had been stuck like glue to Harry. She wasn't exactly sure what they were at this point, but decided to just run with it.  
  
"Knew he was goin' ter come back," Hagrid said when they went to visit him and Harry, Ron, Taunna and Hermione looked up at him, shocked. "Known it fer years. Harry. Knew he was out there, bidin' his time. It had ter happen. Well, now it has, an' we'll jus' have ter get on with it. We'll fight. Migh' be able ter stop him before he gets a good hold. That's Dumbledores plan, anyway. Great man, Dumbledore. 'S long as we've got him, I'm not too worried." Hagrid raised his bushy eyebrows at the disbelieving expressions on their faces.

 

"No good sittin' worryin' abou' it," he said. "What's comin' will come, an we'll meet it when it does. Dumbledore told me wha' you did. Harry."

 

Hagrid's chest swelled as he looked at Harry.

 

"Yeh did as much as yer father would've done, an' I can' give yeh no higher praise than that."

 

Harry smiled back at him.

"An you, Taunna. Cursin' a Dark Wizard. That was stupid. Brave, but stupid,nonth'less." Taunna shrugged.  
"What's Dumbledore asked you to do, Hagrid?" he asked. "He sent Professor McGonagall to ask you and Madame Maxime to meet him - that night."

"Got a little job fer me over the summer," said Hagrid. "Secret, though. I'm not s'pposed ter talk abou' it, no, not even ter you lot. Olympe - Madame Maxime ter you -might be comin' with me. I think she will. Think I got her persuaded."

"Is it to do with Voldemort?"

Hagrid flinched at the sound of the name.

"Migh' be," he said evasively. "Now . . . who'd like ter come an' visit the las' skrewt with me? I was jokin' - jokin'!" he added hastily, seeing the looks on their faces.

Harry met Taunna at the bottom of the stairs.  
"Shall we go?"

"The end," said Dumbledore, looking around at them all, "of another year."

 

He paused, and his eyes fell upon the Hufflepuff table. Theirs had been the most subdued table before he had gotten to his feet, and theirs were still the saddest and palest faces in the Hall.

 

"There is much that I would like to say to you all tonight," said Dumbledore, "but I must first acknowledge the loss of a very fine person, who should be sitting here," he gestured toward the Hufflepuffs, "enjoying our feast with us. I would like you all, please, to stand, and raise your glasses, to Cedric Diggory."

 

They did it, all of them; the benches scraped as everyone in the Hall stood, and raised their goblets, and echoed, in one loud, low, rumbling voice, "Cedric Diggory."

 

Taunna swallowed.

"Cedric was a person who exemplified many of the qualities that distinguish Hufflepuff house," Dumbledore continued. "He was a good and loyal friend, a hard worker, he valued fair play. His death has affected you all, whether you knew him well or not. I think that you have the right, therefore, to know exactly how it came about."

 

"Cedric Diggory was murdered by Lord Voldemort."

 

A panicked whisper swept the Great Hall. People were staring at Dumbledore in disbelief, in horror. He looked perfectly calm as he watched them mutter themselves into silence.

 

"The Ministry of Magic," Dumbledore continued, "does not wish me to tell you this. It is possible that some of your parents will be horrified that I have done so - either because they will not believe that Lord Voldemort has returned, or because they think I should not tell you so, young as you are. It is my belief, however, that the truth is generally preferable to lies, and that any attempt to pretend that Cedric died as the result of an accident, or some sort of blunder of his own, is an insult to his memory."

 

Stunned and frightened, every face in the Hall was turned toward Dumbledore now... or almost every face.

"There is somebody else who must be mentioned in connection with Cedric's death,"

 

Dumbledore went on. "I am talking, of course, about Harry Potter."

 

A kind of ripple crossed the Great Hall as a few heads turned in Harry's direction before flicking back to face Dumbledore.

 

"Harry Potter managed to escape Lord Voldemort," said Dumbledore. "He risked his own life to return Cedric's body to Hogwarts. He showed, in every respect, the sort of bravery that few wizards have ever shown in facing Lord Voldemort, and for this, I honour him."

 

Dumbledore turned gravely to Harry and raised his goblet once more. Nearly everyone in the Great Hall followed suit.

When everyone had once again resumed their seats, Dumbledore continued, "The Triwizard Tournament's aim was to further and promote magical understanding. In the light of what has happened - of Lord Voldemorts return - such ties are more important than ever before."

 

Dumbledore looked from Madame Maxime and Hagrid to Fleur Delacour and her fellow Beauxbatons students, to Viktor Krum and the Durmstrangs at the Slytherin table. Krum, Harry saw, looked wary, almost frightened, as though he expected Dumbledore to say something harsh.

 

"Every guest in this Hall," said Dumbledore, and his eyes lingered upon the Durmstrang students, "will be welcomed back here at any time, should they wish to come. I say to you all, once again - in the light of Lord Voldemort's return, we are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided. Lord Voldemorts gift for spreading discord and enmity is very great. We can fight it only by showing an equally strong bond of friendship and trust. Differences of habit and language are nothing at all if our aims are identical and our hearts are open.

 

"It is my belief- and never have I so hoped that I am mistaken - that we are all facing dark and difficult times. Some of you in this Hall have already suffered directly at the hands of Lord Voldemort. Many of your families have been torn asunder. A week ago, a student was taken from our midst.

 

"Remember Cedric. Remember, if the time should come when you have to make a choice between what is right and what is easy, remember what happened to a boy who was good, and kind, and brave, because he strayed across the path of Lord Voldemort. Remember Cedric Diggory."

                                                                                                                                    FIN


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